From Which We'll Rise
by UchihanoChidori
Summary: Poorly made choices can often result in years of regret. Naruto couldn't be blamed for being oblivious, just as Sasuke couldn't be blamed for not trying harder to stay. But certain bonds cannot be ignored, and it's never too late to acknowledge what's been there all along. SasuNaru/NaruSasu. Placed between chapter 699 and 700 of the manga.
1. Oblivious Me

**A/N: **Okay guys, this story takes place between chapter 699 and 700 and it's on-going. I think. I guess it depends on how much love it receives. If there is no real interest in this, I don't think I'll write anymore since I do have other fics I should be working on. But to be very honest, I fell in love with this plot and it's pretty consistent in my head. I just want these two to end up together in spite of kids and wives and whatever the hell got in their way. So… we'll see how it's received, yes?

Next part will be coming soon since it's almost finished. But the text was too big to put in a single chapter.

It'll be M rated, and NC-17 further down the road.

This is SasuNaru/NaruSasu. There will also be a bit of SasuSaku and NaruHina. Sorry about that.

Not betaed for the time being.

Naruto and co. belong to Kishimoto Masashi.

Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong><span>From Which We'll Rise<span>**

**Part I: Oblivious Me**

Sasuke looked out the window of the hospital room. From his sitting position on the bed, he could see the sky perfectly as well as the top of a few healthy trees. The weather was beautiful outside, and everything was as peaceful as it could ever be. It seemed impossible that, just a few days previously, the world had been surrounded by the shadows of a hellish war.

Many still mourned and wept, he knew. The village was still under construction after a brutal attack by Akatsuki's Pein, or so he had heard from Naruto. Still, these things didn't really matter to him. In fact, he didn't care about a past that wasn't experienced by him at all.

He turned his eyes away from the window and looked down where, with his head lying on the mattress next to his thigh, Naruto slept soundly. The idiot was quite the snorer, Sasuke considered, frowning a bit as a few memories from their childhood when they had been forced to sleep together assaulted his mind.

It was funny how vividly he recalled his days in team 7 and by Naruto's side. Those memories he had tried so hard to repress seemed to be a constant now that he was back in Konoha. While away, he had avoided them at all costs, because they hurt him by reminding him of what he had once had that he had almost lost. They reminded him of how alone he had become.

Naruto's right hand squeezed his left one tightly in his sleep and he snored a bit louder, muttering something under his breath. Features softening, Sasuke looked at his slumbering face.

They had been confined to the hospital bed for five days already. The damage they had done to each other had been far worse than either had imagined, and it seemed like it would take a long time before either could use chakra again or even make any kind of serious efforts. Well, Naruto himself seemed to be healing pretty fast as least, most of the bruises on his face having almost vanished.

Sasuke heaved a sigh, allowing himself to squeeze Naruto's hand back carefully so as to not wake him up. How someone could be so naively simple and so disturbingly complex at the same time he didn't know.

Naruto held his hand a lot, oblivious to Sasuke's awareness of it since he always did it when he was supposedly asleep. Like now, he would sit on the chair next to Sasuke's bed and hold his hand until he fell asleep.

Sasuke pretended he didn't notice. Sometimes, he wondered if Naruto himself was aware of the endless minutes Sasuke spent, sitting on that same chair but turned towards his friend's bed instead, simply staring at him. They both did weird things while thinking the other was asleep, it seemed.

Sasuke wasn't like him – touching like that wasn't an option in his book. So he just stared. Sometimes, his mind would be lost in thought, while other times, it would be as blank as a sheet of paper.

In moments like those, he would often feel thankful. When he didn't feel thankful, he felt terrified. And sometimes, he just felt… empty.

Because Naruto was his only friend and he had almost lost him. He almost lost the only bond he had and his last chance of ever finding some semblance of peace in his life.

And yet, in spite of Naruto's outburst about 'friendship' and 'pain' and 'bonds'… his friend was still out of his reach.

And this was painful for him. Because he and Naruto weren't on the same page yet – maybe they never would be. They had once lived in the same world, but now, they lived in different dimensions altogether.

Biting his lip, Sasuke closed his eyes.

_'Friendship', huh?_

What exactly did that mean to Naruto? Would those feelings the blond had allow him to understand that Sasuke wasn't _home_? That Konoha made him feel trapped and unsafe and just… detached?

He wondered how Naruto would react to his feelings this time. Somehow, there were so many things between them that still couldn't meet properly, and surely, this would be one of them.

But he couldn't help it. He no longer had his house, and if the buzzing around the hospital was any indication, he would never be considered a Shinobi of Konoha again. He suspected the only reason why he hadn't been put out of his misery yet was because Tsunade had given up on her position of Hokage, passing it on to Kakashi.

Being inside the walls of Konoha made him feel restless and powerless. There was still so much he had to cope with, so many things within himself that he had to fix and to analyze. He felt strangely at peace with himself, now that he had allowed himself to let go of his revenge and his ideals of revolution, and yet, it was as if he was filled with all sorts of regrets and weights upon his shoulders. The sins inside of him were tearing him apart, and he knew he needed to purge them or he'd go insane.

He and Naruto hadn't really talked yet. Or better, Naruto himself had talked his mouth off, continuously telling Sasuke of what he'd been doing and the adventures he had lived while they were apart – words Sasuke assimilated automatically but didn't pay much attention to. He didn't tell Naruto about his past, though. It wasn't like there was much to tell that his friend didn't already know, and quite frankly, Sasuke felt like there were things better left untouched, buried forever.

Sasuke bit his lip, feeling his eyes sting as he looked at Naruto's incomplete bandaged arm. They had both lost their arms in that fight. Naruto had gone so far, just for him…

That was something Sasuke knew he could never repay. Those feelings that Naruto forced onto him… He wondered if Naruto himself understood them. He wondered if Naruto understood, exactly, what they meant to Sasuke. Maybe he didn't. No, for sure, he was as stupid and as oblivious as always.

Still, those feelings lived inside of him, and they were hard to deal with. He didn't know what to do with them or how to change them, so that they'd have a different meaning and represented less of a burden to him.

Until he found a way to handle them, he didn't think he could ever be the kind of friend Naruto wanted him to be.

Taking a deep breath, Sasuke leaned back on his pillows and closed his eyes. The wound where his left arm had been destroyed was starting to hurt again. Usually, he avoided painkillers at all costs, but Sakura forced them on him anyway because she knew he didn't complain out of self-punishment, so right now, he was thankful that she wasn't around so he could feel that pain properly – the pain that reminded him of what he had almost lost; the arm was nothing when he thought about how he could have been without light, happiness, and the most important bond in his life. He had almost lost Naruto. He realized, now, that without Naruto, his loneliness would've killed him sooner or later.

And even if he and Naruto's paths were not fated to keep meeting, as long as Naruto was alive, he knew he'd never be alone.

Because he had endured everything, thinking that he was by himself, but somewhere, deep down, knowing that, out there, his blond teammate was still looking out for him. And he knew that it would always be like that, so he was sure he'd be fine.

**_One year and a half later…_**

He could feel Sasuke's presence all around him, strong, alluring and involving and he didn't really know how to act according to it. There was no particular direction what he could follow, which was new to him since his friend had always given him signals as to which way to go, but right now, Naruto couldn't for the life of him tell what he was supposed to do.

Sasuke hadn't come home since he had left all those months ago, but once in a while, during missions, he would feel him and make sure Sasuke would be able to feel him as well. Sometimes, their paths crossed (briefly), and other times, Sasuke would – purposefully, he guessed – not go to him.

Sasuke leaving had been something Naruto had resented but understood all the same. Sasuke was running away again, but at the same time, how could he be strong enough to start a life anew if he didn't even know how to accept himself and cope with what he had done?

The moon was reflecting over the endless rice fields ahead of him and he looked over them to see if he could spot any movement nearby. Apart from the rustling of leaves, the forest behind him was unusually quiet, but this wasn't something that upset him. The weather had cooled down considerably now that November was close.

A gush of wind ran past him unwarned and Naruto only had time to tense in awareness before he felt something sharp poking at the spot between his shoulder blades, making him go still.

There was no denying who the strong, familiar chakra behind him belonged to. There was no denying that it was the tip of a katana that was pressed to his back, and yet, he didn't feel threatened by it – if anything, a rush of adrenaline assaulted him, completely untamable. Sasuke had come.

"Careless as usual," a voice that was dangerously low and almost seductive said behind him. "You never learn, do you, Naruto."

Heaving a small sigh, Naruto smiled without, however, daring to turn around. "I knew it was you," he said confidently.

"So you simply let your guard down?" Sasuke inquired, in a mocking tone. "How foolish. Never let your guard down, not even in front of me."

"Or else what?" Naruto couldn't help but tease, a defiant tone to his voice. "You're going to kill me?"

Sasuke didn't hesitate. "I could."

In spite of himself, Naruto rolled his eyes. He could swear he knew his friend like he knew the back of his hand, and yet, sometimes, he wasn't sure where some things came from.

"Sasuke..." He made a move to turn around, but found the tip of the blade pressing harder to his back, not enough to pierce, but definitely with enough force to be threatening, so he stayed where he was.

"Don't fucking move," Sasuke said imposingly. "What are doing here?"

"Your chakra summoned me," Naruto mumbled, with a frown, looking over his shoulder at his friend.

"I could just be messing with you," came the easy reply.

Well, never in a million years would Naruto even consider that Sasuke might not show up after he had summoned him, and yes, it was rather arrogant of him to assume that Sasuke wouldn't do something like that. Maybe he was taking the Uchiha for granted, but still, in his mind he liked to believe that Sasuke wanted to see him just as much as he wanted to see Sasuke.

"Clearly you weren't," he said defiantly.

The other didn't reply for a while. Then, the pressure on Naruto's shoulder blades was gone. "Sometimes you do piss me off," Sasuke said smoothly.

Naruto turned around, taking in Sasuke's appearance. Compared to the last time they had seen each other, his friend's clothes were considerably more worn out. He still couldn't wrap his mind around the poncho and the beads around his neck. He didn't like it that, clearly, Sasuke was leading the life of a traveler, probably going through many trials and lacking many things, but he seemed surprisingly healthy, so of course he was pulling this journey off rather well.

"You look well," Naruto observed, offering his friend a small smile as Sasuke sheathed his katana behind his back with a graceful gesture, dark eyes never leaving his. "Although, that poncho thing is really awful. You look like an old lady."

"Speaks the guy with the worst fashion sense I've ever met," Sasuke said, also eyeing him back from up and down, looking unimpressed. "Your outfit just keeps getting worse the older you get. And your hair is ridiculous."

"Your face is ridiculous," Naruto countered, his smile fading to be replaced by an offended glare. To his surprise, Sasuke gave him a small lopsided smirk.

"Sakura and Sai are around," he stated, changing the subject.

"Yeah, they're in an inn at a village not too far from here, sleeping, I hope," Naruto muttered, with a half-hearted pout. "I just felt your presence and thought I could come and see you."

Sasuke nodded. "Your arm looks functional."

Uncrossing his arms, Naruto raised his bandaged right one for Sasuke to see as he opened and closed his fist proudly. "Yeah, it took forever, but the muscles are becoming pretty strong and the nerves are already responding nicely," he explained, smiling again. "I still can't feel much, though. You should definitely get your own arm as soon as you can, because the healing process is a bitch."

"Yeah," Sasuke said, black eyes softening. He looked around briefly and pointed to a large tree nearby. "Let's sit there for a while."

Agreeing, Naruto followed the taller male and they sat underneath the tree, him Indian-style with his back to the tree, Sasuke in front of him, on his knees, his back very straight. The ground was grassy and filled with dry leaves and sticks.

Naruto eyed his friend for a bit, wondering about the simple, peaceful aura he could feel emanating from the other. It felt different. _Sasuke_ himself felt different, for some reason, and even in worn out clothes, in the moonlight, there was a strange eeriness about him that made him look respectful and still more handsome than any other person Naruto had ever met. This made him strangely happy.

"So... what have you been up to?" he asked, a little sheepishly as he toyed with a string in his pants.

"Just travelling," Sasuke answered, with a small, elegant shrug. "I was on my way to Konoha actually."

Naruto perked up immediately. "Oh, we're going home in two days!" he said excitedly. "We could all go together!"

"I'm still going to make a detour," Sasuke explained, an apologetic tone in his voice that made Naruto feel disappointment.

"You suck…" he grunted, leaning his back on the tree trunk. "Well, how's the journey going?"

"It's alright," Sasuke's dark eyes were stuck to his, calm but inscrutable. "I've been meditating, seeing things and meeting people. I've been involved with religion to a certain extent. But mostly I've been doing a lot of thinking."

"How's that working out for you?" Naruto couldn't help but tease. "Did you manage to figure yourself out?"

"You could say that," Sasuke smirked, indulging him. "I am learning how to… _accept_and _cope_ with certain things about myself. How about you?"

"Ah, nothing new has been happening." Naruto scratched the back of his head. "The village is still being rebuilt and all that. Kakashi-sensei is doing great as Hokage, and with the other countries' help, the place has been growing quite a lot."

Nodding approvingly, Sasuke said "That's good."

Silence settled between them, while Sasuke looked to the side and seemed to contemplate some stones on the ground. It was dark, but the moon painted the scenario around them in cold tones of silver.

"You seem strangely thoughtful," Naruto noted carefully.

"I've been thinking about my life and my future," Sasuke admitted, with a small frown. He looked back at Naruto. "Do you ever do that, Naruto? Think about how your future will be?"

The question was unexpected to the blond. "Well… I know I want to be Hokage," he replied. He could feel the mood changing but couldn't tell why. "It's going to take a while, but I'm working hard. I don't really think about the future, I just live one day at the time, I guess."

Again, it took a while for Sasuke to talk, but when he did, the words coming out of his mouth weren't exactly what Naruto had expected to hear. "I've been thinking that maybe I won't go back to Konoha for good."

Shivering in shock, Naruto straightened up. "What do you mean?"

That couldn't be good. He had feared that Sasuke might make such a decision, and yet, he had hoped that this journey of redemption of his would be enough to make him realize where his home was and where he belonged to.

"I'm no longer a Shinobi of Konoha, so I will never be able to take exams or work directly for or inside the village, as such," Sasuke explained, using his right hand to rub absently at his upper left arm, an action Naruto didn't miss. "These last few months have been enlightening for me. I feel like I should be out here, seeing the world and making sure I understand what it takes to change it. I want to be doing good things and helping people out as much as I can. I will go back to the village once in a while, but it's not like I'll stick around for long."

"I… Konoha is your home, Sasuke," Naruto whispered, his heart sinking. "Are you really just going to leave only to be seen once every year or so?"

"It's what makes sense to me," the Uchiha stated, still with his calm expression. "And my home is no longer there. I have nothing but you and my brother's will to bond me to that place."

They didn't talk for a few seconds. Naruto could only gap, unsure of what, exactly, he was feeling. He wanted to yell at Sasuke, to tell him he was a complicated asshole and put some sense in his head, _again_, but at the same time, he couldn't help but understand where his friend was coming from. After everything that had happened to him, after what Konoha had done to him and his clan, even if the village meant something to him thanks to Itachi's legacy, it made sense that Sasuke would still feel misplaced and resentful. But that didn't mean Naruto had to accept it, or even like it.

It was one thing giving Sasuke space to sort himself out, but another to know that the gap between them – that he had been sure would be closed soon – would still exist after all that time.

"Don't make that face," Sasuke said with a frown, perceptive to his mood.

"I don't even know what to think; I'm just pissed off," Naruto hissed, clenching his fists around the fabric of his pants. "Asshole."

But he couldn't really find the heart to make the insult sound serious. To him, it was meaningless to have Sasuke around 24/7 if he wasn't happy, but that didn't mean Sasuke just had to go and be a wonderer for the rest of his life.

"Do you ever think about us?" Sasuke asked out of the blue, his voice as smooth as silk. "About how you want our relationship to be? As in, do you ever imagine us getting along, doing things together, like sparring and having lunch together and stuff like that?"

Naruto made a face.

"Well, of course." Blue eyes blinked confusedly at intense grey ones. "I always did. I hoped it would be like that once you were home, but then you left and..."

Naruto shook his head from side to side. Sasuke should _know_ these things, what was with the useless questions? "I missed you during this year and a half, Sasuke. It's never easy when you're not around. It never was."

"Yes, that's why you chased me around for three years," the other male replied, with an ironic chuckle. Brushing his fringe away from his eyes, Sasuke looked down again, his expression serious once more as his fingers toyed with a bit of grass next to his thigh. "I wonder if you realize that there are other options for us."

For some reason, this made Naruto's heart beat faster. He couldn't understand the surge of emotions assaulting him at all, but he couldn't look away from Sasuke's face. "Huh?" was all he could say, confused and helpless.

"Usuratonkachi…" Sasuke mumbled, gazing at him from the corner of his eyes before looking at the grass again. "I'm not like you. I can't make friends the way you do and I don't like people. Surely you understand the depth of our bond."

"Well, yeah, I do, but that doesn't mean I buy your lonely bastard bullshit," Naruto couldn't help but reply, annoyed. "Because that's what you're doing right now. You just want to close yourself up to everything again and be alone. I don't want you to be alone, I already told you…"

"What if there are other options, Naruto?" Sasuke interrupted, again, with something Naruto hadn't been expecting at all. "What if, more than being Hokage, you could find things that fulfilled you just as much instead?"

_What is he getting at?_

Naruto swallowed hard, feeling uneasy all of a sudden. He didn't really understand what was going on, but he felt like he was missing something important and couldn't for the life of him perceive what it was. "I'm… not following you."

Sasuke seemed to be choosing his words carefully. "I have wishes for my future, and they are not related to that village, or to whatever it is that you idealize," he explained, his eyes hardening as they narrowed at him. "In my mind, I want to do the right thing. That, to me, means to help people and see how I can change the world with my own hands. When it comes to _you_, it means that I want you to have everything I know you deserve: friends, a family, recognition… I know you need it, and I alone cannot give you that."

"But I always wanted you by my side!" Naruto yelled, quickly moving so that he was on his hands and knees in front of him. "I indulged your wish to be alone for a while to get your shit together, but I want you to come home and finally…"

"Shut up and let me talk," Sasuke snapped, startling him. "That's not going to happen, and you know it as well as I do." As if realizing how he had spoken, he cleared his throat and forced his voice to remain even. "I know you belong there. You should do everything in your power to become Hokage, and you should allow yourself to be loved by some girl who will be able to give you a real family."

"Sasuke…"

"But I can't help but wonder… how would it feel, for you, to have another choice? To know you could take another path, different from that one even you, surely, have idealized for yourself."

Sasuke seemed to be watching him intently now. "As in… maybe you could join me and we could see the world together. There are things you don't know that I think you should see. There are many other ways of creating a revolution that go way beyond what a simple Kage can do, and I think that, together, we could achieve it. In a way, but differently this time… like Madara and Hashirama did. And we'd still contribute to the village, of course."

And this is where Naruto lost the ability to breathe.

"What are you saying?" he managed to gasp out.

"I'm saying you have two options, that's all." Sasuke raised his hand and grabbed for a leaf that had apparently been stuck to Naruto's hair. Then, he observed it as if it was the most fascinating thing he had ever come across. "Imagine you have me on one hand, and Konoha on the other. I would never make you choose, but in the end, it comes down to it, because your vision of team 7's happy ever after won't happen. As I said, I will never stick around long enough for it."

Moved by a sudden surge of panic, or anger – he couldn't tell – Naruto got on his knees and grabbed for Sasuke's shoulders before glaring at him, teeth clenched, while the other simply eyed him back challengingly.

"Why do you have to be like this…" he hissed, his voice shaking a bit, barely controlled feelings he couldn't understand making his hands tremble. "Why can't you just… try to find something else for yourself? Make friends and find a job, even if not as Shinobi?" Naruto's hands slid over the rough fabric of Sasuke's cream colored poncho, over his arms as if unconsciously caressing them, and when he reached Sasuke's right elbow and found that his right hand couldn't find the other one, he felt the familiar pang of sadness and frustration strike him. It also upset him that he had the perception of grabbing something, but not of actually feeling it. He couldn't feel Sasuke with that hand. His voice softened. "It doesn't always have to be black and white, you know?"

"But it is," Sasuke whispered back firmly, running his gaze over Naruto's features quickly. "Being a Shinobi is who I am, Naruto. And I don't care about friends or spending my life doing the same routine over and over again. That would kill me, and I made a promise to you that I'd keep my will to live."

Naruto's hands slid upwards once more and he could almost swear that he felt his friend shiver slightly. Inhaling, Naruto tightened his hands on Sasuke's upper arms.

"I… Konoha is my home," he said, stuttering slightly. "I… I want to be with everybody, I want to protect it and keep struggling to become worthy of being Hokage. That is my dream and that's what I've been fighting for all this time." He knew he was pleading, but didn't care. He understood Sasuke; he understood what was being asked of him, but at the same time, he needed him to know that he cared, that Sasuke not being around would always have an impact on him. "But Sasuke, I want you there, as well! I told you! Don't be like this. Don't go away again. You know I need you around, you know I want…"

Sasuke put a hand on his chest to push him away a bit, looking baffled, but Naruto held on to him. "Did you not understand what I just told you?"

"I DID! All I'm saying is…"

"No, you definitely didn't," Sasuke contradicted, with a clearly frustrated sigh. "It doesn't matter, Naruto. Let me go."

"No!" Naruto refused, shaking his head from side to side vigorously. "Just… come home with us. Let's see what we can do to make it better! We'll talk to Kakashi-sensei, he'll be able to…"

"I am home right now," Sasuke refused vehemently, looking pained. "I can't ask Kakashi to do more for me than what he has already done." He offered Naruto a small smile that looked defeated. "And it's funny. I knew your answer and yet, I thought you'd surprise me."

It felt like a slap across Naruto's face. He felt his hands losing their grip as they slowly released his friend. Without another word, Sasuke got up and fixed his clothes, and while he watched him with his mouth open, Naruto was sure he had just missed something very important and that something had just been shattered between them. There was no mistaking it, yet, he couldn't understand what had so obviously hurt Sasuke.

He hadn't meant to hurt him. He thought that Sasuke would understand his feelings like he understood Sasuke's. They were supposed to talk about it – talk about how they could manage things between them, how to make it so everybody compromised and benefited simultaneously. Sasuke knew what Konoha meant to him, just as he knew what it _didn't_ mean to Sasuke.

But… were their paths doomed to be so different after all? Even after everything they had gone through, together and apart?

Even in spite of how deeply connected they were?

The sound of steps crushing dry leaves woke him up from his state of shock, making him get to his feet at once and turn to see that Sasuke was making his way to the forest, intent on leaving. "Where the hell are you going?" Naruto yelled after him, fists clenched and throat dry.

Sasuke stopped walking. "I'm leaving," he said simply, looking over his shoulder. "The only reason I came was because I wanted to talk to you about this."

"You can't just leave and not explain what the hell you meant!" Naruto hissed, frustrated. "I don't understand! You know how I feel! I didn't mean to hurt you, but you're so damned difficult all the fucking time, Sasuke!"

"I'm _difficult_?" Sasuke's low, deceivingly soft tone sounded bitter and suddenly angry.

"Why are you mad at me?" Naruto inquired, shoulders slumping helplessly. "Tell me so I can understand!"

Turning halfway towards him, Sasuke seemed to contemplate him with hard, cold eyes. Through them Naruto could see him fighting some sort of internal battle with himself.

Taking a sharp intake of breath through his nose, Sasuke made such a dangerous face Naruto would've taken a step back had that person not been his best friend.

"You know why I'm angry, Naruto?" Sasuke growled with poorly hidden fury. "Because you're so fucking oblivious you can't even understand what's right in front of you. And what's worse, I could tell you things to your face but you would end up either freaking out or just not taking me seriously because you're the kind of dumb as fuck guy who needs to realize things for himself." Sasuke shook his head from side to side, fury fading to give place to sheer disappointment. "And you know what_really_ pisses me off? Is that, when the time comes when you do realize the poor choices you made and understand what you really want, it'll be too late to go back and fix it. And trust me… not even _you_ can fix everything."

While he had no idea what his friend was going on about, it terrified Naruto that they would part, once more, in such dire terms. But his voice got stuck in his throat. His heart ached.

_What am I missing?_ He thought, desperately.

_What should I do?_

"Sasuke…"

Even calling out his name hurt, and he didn't know why.

Sasuke sighed. "I'll see you when I get back," he said, with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Take care."

And Naruto could only watch him go, unable to shake off the sinking feeling that he had screwed up big time.

**_Ten months later…_**

"Ayame-san, today, it's on me!" Sakura said cheerfully upon arriving at the small restaurant, flashing Naruto a bright smile as she sat down on the high stool on his left.

"You sure are in a generous mood today, Sakura-chan!" Ayame said with a smile.

"I'll say," Naruto replied, blond eyebrows rising in surprise as Sakura beamed even more at him.

"The usual for both of you?" Ayame then asked, to which both of them nodded.

As the young cook turned her back to them to help her father, Teuchi-san, Naruto looked to the side again to find his female friend with her eyes closed and a steady smile still on her lips, her chin resting on one hand. The expression of pure contentment on her face was completely unknown to him, and for some reason, it made him feel strangely uncomfortable.

"You look like you're in a good mood," he pointed out suspiciously. She opened her eyes and looked at him from the corner of them before chuckling.

"Well, that's probably because I am," she said easily, with a small shrug.

"Is it because we're finally on a date?" he asked her, finding that, given that she was in good spirits, he could actually afford to make the joke and not risk being punched.

To his credit, she actually laughed. "Oh, stop it silly!" Sakura replied, slapping his arm lightly. "First of all, if it _was_ a date, you'd definitely be the one to pay for our meal, and secondly, you have a girlfriend now; you can't go on dates with other girls."

Naruto crossed his arms over his chest, looking at the ceiling contemplatively. "Huh… I guess you're right."

Thinking about how he did have a girlfriend now was weird, he considered. It was something relatively recent, so for both him and Hinata, it was a first in many things. He'd never been in a relationship before, and truth be told, he had no idea what being a good boyfriend meant at all, but Hinata seemed happy, so he guessed he was doing something right. But it still baffled him how foreign the concept felt to him for some reason.

He did like Hinata an awful lot, even if he couldn't quite place where or when the exact moment the feeling had surfaced inside of him the way it did. But having someone close like that felt good, even if some things were still a little awkward and embarrassing, but he guessed that it would improve as they grew together as a couple.

However… the notion of 'couple' sure was different from what he'd envisioned.

"How is Hinata-chan, by the way?" Sakura asked, seeming genuinely interested.

"She's fine," Naruto replied, with a small shrug and a smile. "But hey, I want to know what's gotten you so giddy!"

Her own smile grew as a slightly pinkish tone painted her cheeks. "That's a secret, Naruto!"

"I tell you everything, Sakura-chan!" Naruto complained, turning to her on his stool and grabbing her wrist with both hands, shaking it a bit. "Come on, tell meeee!"

"It's nothing special," she said, amused.

"I still want to know!" he whined.

"Oh, alright," Sakura said, rolling her eyes and shaking her wrist free from his grasp. "But you have to promise not to tell anyone!"

Excitedly, Naruto nodded. He loved it that, over the years, Sakura had learnt how to trust him, not only as a Shinobi comrade, but also as a close friend.

"Pinky promise?" she said playfully, raising her hand with her pinky finger stretched out.

"Pinky promise," Naruto agreed, interlacing his own bandaged pinky with hers. She nodded her approval and then motioned him closer so they couldn't be heard. Curiously, Naruto leaned his head closer to hers and offered his ear so she could speak in it.

"I think that Sasuke-kun is finally noticing me," she whispered conspicuously.

He leaned away a bit, looking at her happy face with his eyes opened wide. "What do you mean?"

She merely blushed more. "I don't want to make a big deal out of it yet, that's why I don't want people to know about it; but he said some things, and… we've been spending more time together when he's around… not too much, but still, it feels like it's different now, you know?"

Naruto could open and close his mouth stupidly. He knew that, on his face, all his female friend could see was genuine astonishment, but deep inside, he felt like someone had poured a bucket of frozen water over his head.

He couldn't place the feeling inside of him at the strange, unexpected news, but he knew that they didn't sit well with him.

It felt like his whole world was crumbling underneath his feet and he was powerless to do something about it.

Sasuke was… taking an interest in Sakura? _Now_? Why? How? After everything he had said and done to her? After leaving the village over and over and over again, even after making peace with team 7?

He was never around. What was he even _thinking_?

It didn't make sense at all.

And to Naruto, it felt like, suddenly, invisible walls were closing in on him – walls he had no idea had been there in the first place. He felt sick.

And it made him feel horrible on Sakura's behalf because he was supposed to feel happy for them, wasn't he? He had brought Sasuke home for her, for himself. He had given up on his crush on her because he wanted her to stay faithful to her feelings for their teammate. Sakura deserved it, for everything she had gone through, for never giving up on her feelings for him – even if she had hurt Naruto when she had lied and claimed that she loved him instead.

It made sense. In his head, he had believed that Sasuke should accept her feelings for him, and yet, he had never given them a second thought, so much so that, during those two years and a half, Naruto had learned to accept that maybe Sasuke wasn't cut out to be with people like that.

Well, if he had to be honest, he had to admit that things became strangely dire between them after that particular conversation they had had a few months before back in Rice Country, and even more so after he started dating Hinata. Naruto had somehow understood what Sasuke had told him, and yet, it had been difficult for him to perceive exactly what had ticked Sasuke off so much. Sasuke just kept giving him shit about how he wasn't like him and he couldn't accept other people, and Naruto himself couldn't accept that demented theory.

And then, like a tidal wave, it hit him. He remembered that conversation well.

Everything Sasuke had said and done, everything he was doing, even with Sakura…

His eyes widened even more. Sasuke had… seriously wanted him to go with him. Because…

No… that couldn't be it… could it? The way Sasuke felt for him… the things he didn't say, but what he had suggested they did together, him constantly leaving…

Sasuke truly wasn't like him. And now, he was fucking things up again. That damned bastard.

_What the fuck do you think you're doing, Sasuke?_

And to make matters worse… Naruto wasn't pleased on his own behalf, and he was very angry at himself. If Sasuke really did feel that way, then…

_How could I have been so stupid?_

"Naruto?" Sakura asked worriedly, since, apparently, he had been lost in thought for far too long.

Naruto shook his head, swallowing the lump in his throat down.

"Well…" he said, forcing the smile to return to his lips. "If you think it's like that, that's great, Sakura-chan. I hope things turn out well for the two of you."

He hated lying to her when all he wanted, really, was to tell her to open her eyes and see what Sasuke was doing and how blind she was to everything he did – everything he had ever done – to her.

But the sparkle in her eyes and her genuine relief at his approval broke his heart. She seemed so happy he just couldn't find the will to question anything and shatter her fantasy.

The fantasy she had always had about the prince charming Sasuke would never be.

But then again, who was he to talk when, to him, Sasuke had always been better and above any other person in his world?

And that was sad, for the both of them.

"Thank you, Naruto," Sakura said softly, gratefulness filling her minty eyes. "That means a lot to me."

TBC...

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><p>REVIEW?<p> 


	2. Nagging Feeling

**A/N: I MUST WARN YOU THAT THERE IS A BIT OF SMUTTY HET HERE!** And it's my first time writing something smutty with a man and a woman, too. I know, three years of writing fics and I never wrote het like that. I'm such a loser.

Bear with me for a bit? It's a necessary evil, and you'll understand as you read it, **SO PLEASE DON'T SKIP IT!**

Also… In spite of me reading a lot of fics and books in English, I think I only read het smut once, and it was a looooong time ago. Sorry if the terms and words I use aren't exactly right in some way? But I tried to keep the descriptions simple.

**BUT… there's also a bit of something interesting coming between the boys, so… yeah ;)**

Not betaed.

**The website is giving me shit, so sorry if something is in a weird format. I'll edit tomorrow. **

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><p><strong><span>Part II: Nagging Feeling<span>**

__**Two months later…**__

Closing his eyes tightly, Naruto bit at his lower lip as be moved his hips in a few tentative thrusts. Beneath him, Hinata was a trembling mass of heat, legs spreading wider to give him more access so their lower parts were more in contact and perfectly rubbing together, her small hands shaking as they caressed his naked back.

Bending down, Naruto pressed his mouth to hers, kissing her a bit awkwardly because everything was still very new to him, and while he didn't lack confidence, he surely lacked experience and everything he did was based on instinct rather than knowledge. He often mused about how he should've paid attention to the never ending lessons about women and sex Jiraiya had given him during their journeys together.

Naruto liked Hinata. She had a beautiful body and always smelled nice – of something flowery and sweet. Her heart was strong and unblemished. She was kind, and brave, and always eager to please him. It felt good, being loved and simply _wanted_ like that, and it was something he had never experienced before.

The girl was shy and knew even less about this than he did, but somehow, she was always happy to go further and seemed to trust him completely. It made Naruto feel both wary and in control.

His bandaged hand was fisting a few strands of her soft hair over the mattress of his bed while the other ran up and down the outside of her smooth thigh. Hinata's skin was like pearly silk and he liked it very much.

He also liked that she always wore beautiful matching underwear just for him – it was a male fantasy of his coming to life.

Their tongues clashed clumsily, lips moving noisily, neither able to be very proficient in the heat of the moment yet.

Even with his underwear on, Naruto would feel the sheer heat emanating from between Hinata's thighs – the wetness there seemed to seep from her panties to his boxers and this turned him on immensely. There was no purer and more obvious response to him than that, coming from her.

Breaking the kiss, he took a few gulps of air before latching his mouth over the curve of her neck, pressing wet kisses there before lowering his head to her collar bone, then between her breasts, offering the spot a long lick.

"N-Naruto…" she whispered breathlessly, her nails digging on his shoulders now, hips moving a little to encourage his own movements and simultaneously ask for more.

Lifting his head up, Naruto looked at her, stilling his movements. In the semi-darkness of the room, he could see her beautiful face flushed, hair a complete loose mess spread out all over the pillow under her head, clear eyes sparkling with lust and sheer need, silently telling him what she wanted.

His heart was thumping wildly in his chest, adrenaline at realizing what could be coming next creating a pool of lust to coil in the pit of his stomach. As a man, the need for blissful release almost made him want to rip her panties apart right then and bury himself in her with everything he had, and yet, he had never done something like that before, and he knew it couldn't just go like that.

He contemplated her for a few seconds, breathing hard. Her fingers caressed his shoulders encouragingly and a small smile graced her lips.

He wet his lips, something inside of him shifting suddenly at the thought of actual sex. It wasn't fear, or hesitation, but it was definitely _something_. Only he didn't know what, exactly, that _something_ was and it made him feel fidgety and uncomfortable. It wasn't like he didn't want this, it was just…

Something was _off_.

Swallowing hard, he ignored Hinata's inquisitive look and shifted his position so he was lying beside her, on his side, supporting his weight on his elbow. Not giving her time to ask questions, he kissed her hungrily again and grabbed one of her breasts, giving it a small squeeze. His fingers felt her erect nipple before he made his hand run down her body, over her belly and then lower, not wasting time in invading her panties.

She gasped against him, moaning as he made his middle finger slip between the soft lips there and feeling her obvious wetness. He took a sharp intake of breath as she moaned more, her hips convulsing a little, legs closing instinctually at the sensation before parting again.

Breaking the kiss once more, he looked at her just as he carefully made his finger slide inside the moist tightness of her vagina, the slickness there making the process rather easy for him.

Hinata closed her eyes, mouth parting in a silent cry of surprise and pleasure. Eyes never leaving her face, Naruto moved the finger inside her, slowly, but finding no resistance. He pulled out to the tip, then made the finger slide back in. He repeated the process a few times, experimentally, like he always did, and waited until her features began scrunching up a little. He knew it wouldn't take long from then on.

She released a shuddering breath as one of her hands grabbed his wrist with no real purpose than to touch him or probably motivate him. With his lips pressed close together, Naruto felt her body twitch slightly and he moved his hand a bit faster, making sure he sunk his finger inside her as deep as possible while simultaneously making his palm touch the sensitive clit just for effect (he knew she liked the added sensation, even if it didn't add all that much to it).

As the walls inside her constricted and pulsed around his finger, Naruto watched her face look almost pained as she came, letting out a string of soft, helpless noises that were almost melodic.

He stopped his ministrations as her orgasm slowly faded. She was panting heavily, her fingers loosening around his wrist. Smiling a bit, he leaned down and kissed her temple, removing his digit carefully and his hand from the interior her panties to place it on her knee instead.

"I thought… I thought you wanted to do it," she mumbled, opening her eyes tiredly and turning her face to him.

"Ah, you did?" Naruto muttered with an embarrassed smile. "I didn't think you wanted to do it yet…"

The lie was blatant to him and almost made him flinch. It was the third time Hinata had showed her willingness through body language alone, and the third time Naruto had distracted her by making her cum by other means.

"But, I don't really have any condoms…" he kept on, still sounding awkward, which was a relief to his own ears. "We should probably think about getting them, then, right?"

They had never really talked about it before, thankfully, and yet, since she had exposed the issue so obviously, he just had to find some sort of justifiable excuse, right?

Well, it wasn't an _excuse_, he really had never thought about buying condoms, anyway. Why, he had no idea. Guys were supposed to just want to jump into the action as soon as the opportunity arose, right?

He had no idea what was wrong with him.

"Yeah, you're right," Hinata said softly, raising a hand to touch his cheek, smiling gently at him again. Then, another blush painted her cheeks. "Do you want… shall I take care of you?"

Naruto's eyebrows shot upwards at that. For a moment, he thought about refusing it – he hadn't made her cum just so he could get something in return, and let's be honest, he did it on purpose to distract her. But he was still pretty hard, and she looked so hopeful that…

"Sure…" he said, with a small shrug. "Okay."

Her eyes lit up at once and she quickly moved to a sitting position, placing her hand on his chest to make him lie on his back. Then, she nimbly changed her location so she was kneeling between his legs. A little curious, Naruto watched as her shy, shaky hands grabbed the hem of his boxers and pulled them down to reveal his erection. She gulped, her face gaining an even redder tone, but her eyes were resolute. He thought she looked strangely beautiful, like a mermaid, her long hair cascading down her body, over her shoulders and curvy, perfect breasts.

Without another second of hesitation, she lowered her body so her mouth was engulfing him and he hissed a bit before closing his eyes, allowing himself to feel. It wasn't amazing, but it certainly felt good.

Vaguely, he wondered if Sakura did this to Sasuke, as well. He wondered if, like him, Sasuke was having issues concerning sex or if he had already done it. Because Sasuke wasn't like him, he did things when they needed to be the done, and Sasuke didn't hesitate.

Perfect Uchiha fucking _Sasuke_.

Somehow, it frustrated him. Everything about the relationship of those two frustrated him to no end, especially if his guess on Sasuke's feelings was right.

That fucking bastard.

He grunted a bit as he felt Hinata's tongue timidly lap at the head of his cock with her tongue.

Fuck that. He didn't want to be thinking about Sasuke right now.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed every thought of his best friend to the back of his mind and focused on cumming.

_**A few days later…**_

Naruto chewed persistently on his lower lip as he stood in a dark, secluded alley near Konoha's hospital with his back against the wall, his hands buried inside the pockets of his pants. Incessantly, his heel was tapping on the ground, signaling his obvious state of anxiety.

He couldn't remember a time of his life when he had ever felt this out of it, so completely all over the place that he had no idea how to even begin to get a hold of himself.

It hurt. He couldn't understand why it hurt, but it did. Surely, Sakura thought so, too, but for a whole different reason.

He didn't really know how to cope with his anger. Well, it wasn't as much anger as it was just… simple _disappointment_.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be. This was _not_ how he had imagined things to turn out at all, and yet, he felt powerless to fight it.

For some reason, fighting Sasuke was becoming harder and harder. He could fight him literally, but when it came to Sasuke being the stubborn asshole he had always been, there was no way he could simply force him to change his mind.

In a not so distant past, he had done it, yes. He had brought Sasuke back from the darkness and made him realize that there were other ways to go about his ideals. But losing his drive because of him, Naruto knew, was something that forced Sasuke to take yet another turn in his way of perceiving his own life and its meaning. And no matter how Naruto felt about the decisions that came with it, that was something he knew he had no right to interfere with.

Still…

He couldn't understand, for the life of him, _why_ or _when_ things had changed so drastically for them and in a way he hadn't wanted to in the first place at all.

Biting down on his already abused lip, Naruto shut his eyes tightly and clenched his fists.

He knew he was being selfish, but at the same time, that whole mess had been Sasuke's fault to begin with. All of it was Sasuke's fault. Sasuke, with his fucking ideals of redemption and what was right or wrong, thinking he knew what was best for everybody and himself…

Who was being the fucking hypocrite _now_?

A sudden shift in the air made him open his eyes as he felt the strong chakra signature make his muscles shiver slightly.

At once, he hurried off towards the main street, easily following the familiar source of energy he could perceive. It was far too early in the morning and the starts still filled the dark sky. Apart from the occasional noise inside bakery stores or other early functioning businesses, the streets were silent and empty.

Eventually, he was able to find the tall and recognizable male figure, clad in dark blue and black clothes and he sprinted faster towards the person until he was able to reach him and come to a steady pace beside him. He wasted a few seconds simply glaring at his companion.

The only thing he received back was an unimpressed sideways glace.

"What do you think you're doing?" Sasuke asked, seemingly unaffected by the glare, or even surprised by Naruto's presence.

"Did you do it?" Naruto asked, at once, not even bothering to hide the displeasure in his voice.

"I told you I would do it, didn't I?" Sasuke said blandly, frowning at him. "Tsunade wasn't pleased. It's _my_ choice. You don't get to feel sorry for me, and you don't get to make that face."

Pursing his lips together, Naruto 'tsked' and looked away, shoving both hands inside his pockets again and hearing Sasuke's annoyed sigh at his actions.

For some reason, he became very self-conscious of the rough textures of the bandage surrounding his right hand and arm and immediately hated the feeling. It was stupid that he had to feel this way – that Sasuke had to make him resent his own limb – but he did all the same. Suddenly, he felt like it was pointless. If, almost three years after they had fought, Sasuke still thought he didn't need his fucking arm back, then why should _he_?

If he had known Sasuke didn't want his arm back, he wouldn't have allowed Tsunade to make one for him at all.

They had gone through the loss _together_. Whatever happened regarding said arms should be shared and overcome _together_. And yet, once again, Sasuke decided to take a completely different route from his, the damned fucker.

Irritated, Naruto chanced a glance at Sasuke's left shoulder. He was wearing an oversized black sweater, and the left sleeve hung loose and empty, swaying as he walked. The sight made his stomach churn for reasons he couldn't explain. His heart ached.

He had once told Sasuke that he suffered for him, and he hadn't been kidding. But Sasuke didn't seem to get it.

"Why are you doing this?" he whispered, angrily, looking down at his walking feet.

Sasuke's answer was quick. "Because I need to."

"That's not good enough of an answer, Sasuke!" Naruto snapped, turning his face to him fully. "Are you trying to punish me, is that it?"

He had no idea why those specific words left his mouth, but they had. Not only that, he had no idea that he had had that impression before, but apparently, all sorts of repressed things were surfacing without his consent.

Sasuke looked both confused and livid at this. "Not everything is about you, you moron," he hissed, as if somewhat offended, walking purposefully faster so he was a few steps ahead of Naruto.

"Bullshit!" Naruto yelled spitefully to his back. "It's not fair, you fucking bastard! You're the one who chose to do everything behind my back, and now I don't even get to feel sad for you?" When Sasuke didn't answer him, he, too, walked faster and reached out to grab for his friend's shoulder to stop him. "Just... stop already and talk to me, damn it!"

Sasuke did stop, furiously slapping his hand away and turning to him, and the firm, cold stare he gave him made Naruto's breath catch in his lungs, not from fear, but from hurt. Slowly, he gulped.

"Don't fucking touch me," the Uchiha said, his voice calm and collected, but dangerous, eyes narrowing as they stared into Naruto's unblinking ones.

For a few seconds, neither spoke. The streets were still blissfully empty, but already they could hear a bit of commotion in the distance as the village woke up; the sun was barely rising.

"What are you going to do now?" Naruto mumbled after a while, trying to keep his hands from shaking and the resentment from his voice. "Leave? Again?"

Sasuke's eyes seem to have gained a new level of intensity, and yet, the flicker of emotions there weren't something Naruto knew how to read.

"I don't belong here, Naruto. Maybe I never did," Sasuke replied, now a little less aggressively, adjusting his sweater with his right hand. In spite of his seemingly calm demeanor, Naruto could feel his chakra bubbling and his energy all over the place. Sasuke was angry.

"Why this? Why _now_? I don't understand you at all..." Naruto whispered. Then, before he could even stop the words from leaving his mouth, he asked, "Why _her_? After everything you said…"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you say you didn't want me to be alone?" he asked, almost mockingly. "I'm merely indulging you."

"And what does she think about your stupid assed decision of not getting your arm back?" Naruto hissed.

Sasuke's eyes seemed to darken at that, and the disgusting smirk he gave him made Naruto's blood boil inside his veins. "It's as much her business as it is yours," he said simply.

That made Naruto snap. Before he could control it, he had lounged himself at the other male, grabbing him by the collar of his sweater. Sasuke gasped in surprise but Naruto just pushed him backwards, hard and fast until he was violently slamming his friend against the nearest building's wall so hard Sasuke's skull hit the flat surface rather loudly. But he didn't care about it; if he had to break him up again to make him do what was right he would do it in a heartbeat.

"You fucking bastard!" Naruto grunted venomously in Sasuke's face, eyeing him with fury. "_Fuck_, you get on my nerves, Sasuke!"

Sasuke's face scrunched up in anger – an expression Naruto had been all too used to seeing in the last few months – but he didn't look intimidated in the slightest. Their faces were inches apart and Naruto felt himself shake with the sheer untamable rawness of everything he was feeling.

He knew Sasuke was just pushing his buttons. They knew nothing about each other at this point, and he knew nothing about Sasuke's relationship with Sakura. If he was angry on her behalf, upset that it all seemed out of balance somehow or just completely furious at Sasuke's attitude towards his body and his life, he didn't know, but everything happening since that war and their battle, Sasuke leaving, their fight… how _everything_ just seemed so misplaced without explanation…

And it was all Sasuke's fault. Sasuke, who didn't talk to him anymore. Sasuke, who was never home. Sasuke, who claimed he only accepted him and yet was doing whatever with Sakura and avoiding him at all costs.

Naruto wanted to scream or punch him until he lost consciousness. Maybe he wanted to do both. The Kami help him, he just wanted to tear him apart and glue him back together.

"If you want to hit me, then just fucking do it!" Sasuke yelled, defiantly, something very akin to hatred filling his eyes. "Or what, are you hesitating because now we're supposedly 'all good' or something? You're such a fucking idealist, Naruto, it makes me sick!"

But Naruto couldn't find words to counter Sasuke's anymore. He didn't feel like he could even be account responsible for his actions anymore, and why the hell didn't Sasuke _get it_?

His vision only managed to catch Sasuke's mouth opening to let out another possible train of bullshit before everything went short-circuit in his mind. Next thing he knew, his mouth was literally crashing violently over Sasuke's. And it hurt like a bitch. His lips had somehow smashed on Sasuke's teeth and he was sure he had cut them badly.

Sasuke let out a loud, pained huff that made Naruto sure that he had also been abused by the contact. As if to prove it, Naruto felt something warm and slick flooding his bruised lips - blood - and he didn't know if it belonged to him or to his friend, and neither did he care. The pain made him convulse a bit, but his mind was too clouded for him to fully understand every insignificant detail of what was happening.

Sasuke seemed a little at loss, but he said something intelligible and agressive that Naruto couldn't understand considering their mouths were glued together. Before he could control himself, he tilted his head to the side and moved his lips demandingly over Sasuke's as he pressed their mouths closer together, feeling an almost visceral need to have Sasuke _do something_. He felt like he was somehow doing something he shouldn't be doing and challenging Sasuke in the worst possible way, but he couldn't seem to stop himself. In a way, he hoped Sasuke would fight him, punch him, or bite him… _anything_.

Anything to have him responding to him so they could finally connect once more, through anger, hatred, whatever it took…

Sasuke's body fidgeted a bit as he seemed to struggle with what to do, his hand grabbing for the fabric of Naruto's shirt over his shoulder and twisting it in his strong grip. His mouth was unresponsive to Naruto's, just hanging open as if shocked to stillness.

Unaware of what he was doing, Naruto pressed himself more to him, effectively pinning him to the wall. He bit down hard on Sasuke's lower lip, with every intent to hurt, feeling more blood gushing out from the open bruises there. Sasuke's body shook and he let out an angry breath before everything about him came to life and he was moving his mouth over Naruto's ferociously.

Naruto's very being seemed to catch fire as Sasuke deepened the kiss, their mouths touching hungrily and fighting for dominance, the bitter taste of their blood mingling in their tongues, filling both their senses and making Naruto go dizzy with all sorts of conflicting feelings. Adrenaline was pumping violently through him, blood quickly rushing down to his lower regions and he couldn't understand what he was doing at all, and neither did he feel like debating on it. Sasuke was _responding_, they were sharing something, and that was all that mattered. Everything else was nothing but a blur outside of the existence that was _them_.

It was a clumsy, overly excited kiss fueled by all sorts of emotions. Neither seemed to know what they were doing, and while Naruto himself was already experienced enough at kissing, he felt like he had no control whatsoever of how that particular kiss was being processed.

His hands released Sasuke's collar and travelled down over his flat chest before his arms surrounded him by the waist. Sasuke's right arm also moved to hold him around the neck and pull him tightly close as he angled his head purposefully for more contact. He could feel Sasuke's upper left arm reacting as if to hug him as well but no contact came from it and he moaned pitifully at it.

It hurt. Everything hurt so much he felt tears coming to his eyes. There was no delicateness in the way Sasuke kissed, but there was longing and an obvious desperation on both their parts and Naruto found that the more they drank from each other's essence the thirstier he became. Sasuke's taste was sharp and his scent was clean and specific. He knew for a fact that he never wore cologne, and yet, he always had that distinctive smell that brought Naruto back to his childhood. It was exhilarating and nothing like Naruto had ever felt in his life.

And it was as terrifying as it was unique.

Suddenly, he felt Sasuke reacting, quickly as lightening itself, and he was being roughly shoved away, stumbling backwards a bit. His mind was hazy for a few confused seconds but he was forced to focus as he felt the tip of something extremely sharp poke at the spot of his neck above his Adam's apple.

Breathing hard, he saw Sasuke in front of him, looking feral and threatening, lips swollen and red as a trail of blood feel from a particularly nasty gash dripped down his chin. Sasuke had a kunai pressed to his neck.

"Do that again and I swear I won't be answering for myself," Sasuke hissed, his voice was low and shaky. "You have no right to demand anything out of me, do you understand? You have no right to do something like this."

"You're in love with me, aren't you?" Naruto whispered, swallowing hard. He felt really shaken about what had just happened, but more than anything, the sheer pull they had shared towards each other had been overwhelming. "I know it, Sasuke; you can't hide that from me anymore."

Sasuke's eyebrows rose in disbelief. "Is this the stupid conclusion you came up with?" he retorted, his stance becoming even straighter, clearly feeling defensive.

"What else could it be?" Naruto muttered, frowning. "The way you act, the things you've told me…"

"You're offending me," Sasuke spat, lowering his kunai. "_In love_? _Me_? As if I'd ever feel such a pathetic and frivolous emotion for someone like you."

"I can't even understand if what you just said is an insult or a compliment!" Naruto complained, his arousal fading rather quickly to be replaced by the now familiar frustration. "Damn it, Sasuke, just talk to me!"

Sasuke shoved the kunai ruthlessly back inside the small pouch he had around his waist. "Fuck you, Naruto."

"No! You should've told me how you felt, damn it!" Naruto contradicted, clenching his fists at his sides. Sasuke had responded to him, surely he couldn't have made the wrong assumption of his feelings, it just wasn't possible. "Why don't you just say what you want to say?"

"And then what?" Sasuke yelled bitterly, using the back of his hand to wipe at the blood on his lips, smudging it all over his chin and mouth instead. "What would you do about it, Naruto, huh? You didn't even think twice about wanting to stay in Konoha when I specifically told you I wanted you to be with me. If I tell you what I want, how I really feel, will your feelings for this fucking place be different?"

Again, Sasuke was surprising him with things he had no idea would be thrown to his face like that, and _again_, he felt stupid all of a sudden, not knowing how to reply. "I… I don't know, I just…"

"Why did you even _do_ that?" Sasuke looked hurt, and Naruto knew that, somehow, he had taken the wrong step once more, even without meaning to. "Out of all the things you could've done, you _kissed_ me. Are you fucking crazy?"

"I don't know!" Naruto said, truthfully, because, really, he didn't know anything about them anymore. "Just give me a break, okay? I don't know how I feel about all this, but that doesn't mean you just have to go and pretend you don't feel that way about me!"

Sasuke huffed, exasperated. "What way, you idiot?" he asked challengingly, but sounding tired.

"I don't _know_, but there's something definitely strange going on!" the blond man babbled, unsure of what to say. Sasuke rolled his eyes at him and turned his back on him – something he did a lot recently, it seemed – bent on walking away from him. "Look, we can work this out, we should talk about this…."

"Talk?" Sasuke stopped in his tracks and turned around to face him. He eyed Naruto for a few seconds. When he spoke again, his voice was of a smooth, deadly low tone. "I don't want to talk to you about my _feelings_, you dumbass. I want you to leave me the fuck alone and not go around doing stupid things you don't even know the meaning of. You have a fucking girlfriend."

"And so do you!" Naruto shot back. "You're being hypocritical!"

"I never said she was my girlfriend," Sasuke replied, as if the thought itself that someone would think so surprised him. "What did you expect me to do, anyway? It's already painful enough watching you being fucking clueless all the time and just taking one dumb step after another."

"Sasuke..."

"You made your choice, Naruto," Sasuke hissed venomously as he turned on his heels and walked away without even bothering to look back anymore. "Now deal with it."

Naruto watched him go, fury and resentment flooding him, knowing that no argument he could ever shout at his best friend would ever be valid enough in Sasuke's eyes.

Because Sasuke was right and he had screwed up, somehow. Again. And it seemed like there was no right way of undoing it anymore.

000

"I suppose you know why I asked you to meet me," Tsunade said, sitting at her doctor's office's desk just as Naruto was coming inside and closing the door behind him.

"Yeah..." the young man said tiredly, making his way to the chair across the desk from her and slumping down. "He really doesn't want his arm back, does he?"

"I'll keep the one I made for him just in case," the former Hokage said, rummaging through a drawer on her left and finally finding what she was looking for. "But, to be very honest, it would be very complicated to implant it on him now that his wound is completely healed. The skin has ever regenerated rather nicely, as well."

"But it would be possible to give him the arm in the future anyways, right?" Naruto inquired, with hope in his eyes.

"Yes, but it would take three times the trouble, and a long time for him to adapt to it and for the general arm to heal." Tsunade pulled out a metallic canteen and two plastic cups which she placed in front of herself and in front of her favorite protégé. "In a way, it was for the best. Without an arm, Sasuke's less of a threat. This will please the council, and the other villages that, as you know, weren't very happy about how easily he got away with what he did, even if they accepted it because of_you_."

Naruto laughed. "They're crazy if they think not having an arm will make him less skilled and capable."

"I know, that boy is really something," Tsunade agreed, wasting no time in pouring a bit of the beverage into both cups, glad when Naruto didn't protest. "His journeys have been pretty fruitful, or so I heard. He's been providing a lot of information for Konoha, and word says he's been doing a lot of charitable work for poor villages."

"Really?" Naruto seemed genuinely surprised as he picked up the cup and took a sniff of the beverage. He sipped on it and made a face, before taking another sip.

"How are you holding up?" Tsunade asked gently. She knew that those two were going through a hard time, and Sasuke not taking the path Naruto wished for him was surely taking its toll on the blond.

"I'm pissed off at him, but I guess I understand," Naruto mumbled, lowering the cup and resting is over his lap. "Still, I wish he'd stop this dramatic bullshit once and for all and accept that he can be a normal, happy person."

"I suppose doing what he's doing makes him feel accomplished enough." Tsunade also took a sip on her drink, instantly gratified at the feeling of relaxation the alcohol provided for her. Becoming a full time Doctor sure was as troublesome as being Hokage.

"You saved him," she proceeded carefully. "But there are things about him that will never be healed."

"I know, and it sucks," Naruto said with a huff. His blue eyes moved from hers to the window behind her. "Sometimes, I wonder if he even knows how to be happy..."

"Naruto, life is made of choices, and we all make the ones that are more convenient for us," Tsunade began, after a few seconds of contemplative silence. "I don't think he's ignorant towards happiness, I just think that, lucky as he is, he's also terribly unfortunate when it comes to what he wants."

"Huh..." Naruto sounded dispassionate, and it tore at her very heart.

"You two are strangely distant considering how much you care about each other," she observed knowing she had struck a chord when Naruto tensed up.

"We had a fight a few months ago and I don't think he got over it yet," he confessed, looking down at his drink. "I can't even try to make up with him, he's always away and when he's around, he's either with Sakura-chan or purposefully ignoring me."

Tsunade almost smiled but thought better of it. In a way, she wanted to help them, but at the same time, she knew it was none of her business and that, when it came to them, they would have to fix things by themselves, as they always had.

But this 'issue' of theirs sure was becoming a nuisance if so much time had passed and they still hadn't fixed it.

"I don't like the Uchiha brat, as you very well know," she said, with a sigh, leaning back on her chair. "But he has a strong connection to you, and even I can see that that bond is exclusive to you. Just because you saved him once it doesn't mean he doesn't still need your help."

Naruto nodded, looking at her with a pained expression. "I just... wish he could say things to my face, you know?"

"Maybe he's just waiting for you to take the step on your own?" she suggested. "I don't really understand what's with the two of you, but you went through hell and back for him. It would be a waste if you couldn't make peace because of a misunderstanding."

"I know."

Another moment of silence stretched out between them. Tsunade took a few sips on her drink and urged Naruto to do the same, which he did, almost automatically since he was obviously lost in thought.

"Have you ever considered going with him in one of his journeys?" she asked casually, making him tense up again. "Surely he wouldn't mind. Maybe that's what you two need. Maybe you'd be more accepting of what he's doing if you could see it for yourself?"

"Baa-chan, Sasuke is gone for months on end," Naruto complained, with a pout. "I have missions, training, and Hinata …"

"She'll still be here when you get back," Tsunade assured him, rolling her eyes at how simple minded he was. "And so will the village."

"Well, yeah, but… I don't know…"

"You never thought about it seriously, did you?" She chuckled softly as he looked to the side, lips making a pout again. "Kakashi would allow it, I'm sure." Shaking her head from side to side, she proceeded. "I know you're stubborn, and that limits your focus to things you know and are used to. But I think that, after all those years of chasing after your friend, you two didn't dedicate time to each other at all. And it's been almost three years since the war. Don't you think that's sad?"

"Yeah," Naruto admitted, for some reason blushing a little. "I mean, I do want to spend time with him…"

"You have to open up your horizons," Tsunade encouraged. "Life isn't all about Konoha. You'll have time to devote everything to it once you become Hokage. A little change of airs might do you good."

It wasn't as if she wanted Naruto out of her sight. Before the war, he spent so much time away, risking his life for the village and for Sasuke, always in danger, always fighting, always hurting… one would think that with him and the Uchiha brat having made peace, things would be good, and yet, Naruto was still hurting. She had hoped that, with Hinata now in the picture, Naruto could finally put his obsession with Sasuke behind his back, but it seemed like it was impossible, and even less if they were still not exactly on the best of terms for reasons she could only begin to speculate.

If all they needed was time together, they should have it. If Sasuke hadn't managed to kill Naruto before, he wouldn't do it now, for sure. She had seen the way Sasuke looked at him, and had managed to comprehend that there was a certain depth to what they had, even if she couldn't quite embrace what it was because, clearly, it was too complicated to be something positive. Thank gods for Hinata, she always thought. Still, she couldn't help but feel sorry for Sasuke, and since Naruto felt deeply for him, Tsunade had learned to interiorize that whatever the mess between them was, it was here to stay.

"I don't know. At this point, maybe he doesn't even want me to tag along anymore," Naruto retorted with a helpless shrug of his shoulders. He downed the rest of his drink in one go and shuddered before slamming the recipient on the table and crushing it. "There's so much I don't understand about him... anyway, I should go. Don't drink yourself to sleep old hag."

"As if!" Tsunade huffed, falsely affronted as he got up. "Take care brat, and come visit more often! Just because you have a girlfriend now it doesn't mean you have to forget your friends, yes?"

"I would never forget about you, old hag," he said, offering her a small smile and a wink. "I need you to babysit my kids someday."

She laughed at the irony of his statement. "Keep dreaming."

000

From the top of a tree, hidden in the dense foliage, Naruto was crouching down on a branch as he watched the couple standing in front the high gates of Konoha with lips pursed together.

He couldn't listen to what they were saying – not that he particularly cared – but he knew that any person walking by them on that sunny morning would be able to understand that those two were definitely together.

The image was foreign to him and made him feel uncomfortable beyond reason. It was nothing like his childhood, when he'd watch them from behind, resentment and jealousy filling him.

Now, the feelings assaulting him also included jealousy, but a different kind, and for a different person altogether.

Sakura and Sasuke were in front of each other, him tall and imposing as was usual of him, clad in his traveling, long black cloak; her, abnormally close to him, her hands unnecessarily adjusting his clothes, clearly taking every chance she could of touching him. She blushed as she talked to him, while he simply nodded, a very small, bland smile gracing thin lips – a courtesy Sasuke afforded to give to her for some reason.

Then, he said something to her and she smiled back, and when he leaned in to press his lips to hers, her face gained yet another shade of red, but when he meant to move away, she quickly surrounded his neck with both her arms and intensified the kiss. Sasuke seemed a little taken aback by it, but slowly, almost tentatively, raised his only hand to touch her waist, and this is when Naruto turned his face away.

It was stupid, he thought, narrowing his eyes at a spider that was crawling close to his sandaled foot. Why did it end up like this?

He knew he had been foolish – he had been the one completely oblivious all along, for some reason, misunderstanding Sasuke's words completely and his feelings, and still, they should've worked out things differently. Sure, he was pretty dumb in some things, but if Sasuke had simply expressed himself without speaking in riddles, maybe this wouldn't have happened.

If Sasuke had just asked… no, if he had told Naruto what he wanted and not had not given him options instead of making him believe he was trying to push him towards another direction…

And what frustrated him the most was that… Sasuke wasn't even in love with her. This was something he knew, in his heart, and no intense French kissing (he took a peak at his friends and he could see their tongues battling from where he was, which was absolutely disgusting, _ew_) would ever make him feel otherwise.

He closed his eyes and took a few, deep breaths, his heart beating furiously inside his chest.

No. The way he and Sasuke had kissed the other day… even if Sasuke had ended up threatening him… nothing could replicate that. The fire, the anger, the sheer longing… he had never felt that way for another person (not even Hinata) and even if Naruto himself hadn't expected that outcome, it hadn't shocked him all that much since it helped him understand things he often thought about, feelings he often experienced around Sasuke, urges he had towards him…

And just… how _different_ everything felt from when he was with Hinata.

It had been painful but something sort of amazing, too. And it hurt him to realize that those feelings Sasuke had for him… Sasuke knew about them all along. And it hurt him to know that his naivety had hurt his best friend.

Even if Sasuke said he wasn't in love with him, those feelings he had were very exclusive to him. Just like the feelings he had for Sasuke. Although, he really couldn't explain them very well. He had tried, over and over again to understand what had possessed him to kiss his friend in the first place, but came up with no answer. He knew that Sasuke was attractive, but that had never been something that attracted him personally.

Maybe he had just wanted to test the other to see if his theory of Sasuke being in love with him was right?

Well, if he had to be honest with himself, he had felt some sort of emotional attraction to the Uchiha, and Sasuke's power, his abilities as a shinobi, his very intelligence… these were things that he found himself attracted to. But it had never been... well, _sexual_. At least he didn't think so.

Naruto still couldn't believe how stupid he had been. And now, awareness came too late, it seemed, because Sasuke resented him deeply and he had no idea what to do about it.

He didn't even understand why Sasuke was doing what he was doing or what his purpose was. At the same time, he was furious on Sakura's behalf and wanted to shake her out of her love-induced state to make her realize that Sasuke wasn't hers. Didn't she even stop for a minute to question herself about why was this happening all of a sudden? Or was she really so immersed in her fantasy all along that she had simply _believed_ that, in the end, they would definitely end up together?

It seemed that way. Some said that there was no stronger power than the power of love, and apparently, it worked in her favor… somehow.

Then why didn't his and Sasuke's 'love' seem to go anywhere, even after everything they had gone through, together and apart?

And it was weird to think of it as 'love', because it was that exactly, but so much more. Maybe it wasn't sexual, maybe it didn't even have anything to do with what he and Hinata had at all, but their bond was definitely unusual.

Nothing made sense. Nothing was how it was supposed to be. _How_ it was supposed to be, he didn't know either.

Naruto huffed. What the hell was he supposed to do? They had different goals, and if they didn't learn to compromise they would never be able to be friends and get along the way he knew they were supposed to.

Naruto chanced a glance towards the gates of just in time to see Sakura waving and Sasuke exiting the village.

Watching him leave brought a tightness to Naruto's chest he knew would follow him for weeks on end. Sasuke was leaving again and they were still in bad terms.

For some reason, more than anything, Naruto wanted to figure out what, exactly, bonded him to Sasuke that seemed to both pull them together and draw them apart at the same time. They couldn't go on like this, not understanding what they felt, what they wanted and how to cope with it. They had to find a way, they had to fix this no matter what…

Having Sasuke in his life, but not having Sasuke there… it wasn't right. In his world, it felt wrong and it didn't make sense.

That bond they had – Naruto longed for it with his very being, and Sasuke walking away from it as he was doing… that was unconceivable.

He simply… _longed_ for Sasuke.

Awareness made him gulp. He really wanted… to be with Sasuke, right now. For a long time. They needed this.

With a jolt, Naruto straightened his back in sudden resolution – it was now or never. He needed to hurry because he didn't have much time. He had to go to Hinata, and then head over to the Hokage tower. He only hoped Kakashi didn't give him a hard time.

000

Sasuke heaved a sigh, bringing two fingers to his lips to absently rub at them for a while as he immersed himself deeper into the forest. His mouth was still tingling a bit from the intense kiss Sakura had forced out of him. It hadn't been unpleasant, but he had certainly not expected her to be this feisty considering how he had set the cards on the table for her. Still, in her eyes, he still saw that hope that, someday, she'd be able to make him love her like she wanted.

Lowering his hand, Sasuke sighed once more. Everybody believed that they were dating, and he found that denying it would be too troublesome. Who cared, anyway? It's not like people would ever understand if he did try to explain how things were between him and Sakura.

He had goals and things he needed accomplished. Sakura knew that. Those goals hadn't been primary in his mind about a year ago, but they were, now.

Naruto had his mind set about his future, and while, before that, Sasuke had kept a small flame of hope alive in his chest, now he knew it just wasn't worth it. No matter what, Naruto would keep moving forward, and because of that, Sasuke should do the same. It was only natural, wasn't it?

Naruto liked Hinata, Sasuke knew that very well, and, to a certain extent, this made him feel relieved, yet sad. There were things Naruto needed that someone like Sasuke couldn't give him, so it made him happy that Naruto had found someone who could.

Still, he and Naruto had been on each other's minds for so long that Sasuke didn't feel like he could be blamed for wishing that things were different between them.

Not that he felt differently about them in any way, Sasuke considered, looking up at the trees above him and absently appreciating the sun rays filtering through the leafy branches. He loved nature more than anything.

Sasuke knew, without a doubt, that the way he felt for Naruto was reciprocated, only Naruto didn't look beyond what was on the surface of their bond. He was goal driven and tended to chase what he thought was right and acceptable and what he thought was expected of him. Sasuke was a bit like that, as well, but instead of these traits of both of them meeting, they just clashed and worked against them.

Naruto thought Sasuke was in love with him. It almost made him laugh – what a ridiculous thing. 'Love' was such an understatement it was offensive to him. After everything they had gone through, after what Naruto had done for him, 'love' could, in no possible way, ever describe the way he felt.

Sasuke walked aimlessly for about half an hour, heading to nowhere in particular, as usual, deeply lost in thought, something that happened to him rather often lately. He had supplies for a few days inside his bag, so he knew he'd be fine until he found the nearest village.

It wasn't as if he understood it himself. He longed for Naruto and for their bond. More than thinking about it in a romantic way, Sasuke thought it was the exclusive way he saw Naruto that made him believe and somewhat that something intimate between them would be possible. he had debated on it for a long time during his first jurney and realized it had nothing to do with his sexuality.

Before Naruto had foolishly kissed him for no apparent reason, Sasuke had never even really thought about him in a sexual way. The fact that something like that had happened and that they had _both_ reacted to it just proved his theory about how much more complicated their bond was.

It had been a rather… interesting kiss, though. His mouth still felt the strength of it, and it had happened a few days previously.

'Frustrating' didn't even manage to explain their situation anymore, and in a way, Sasuke had resigned himself to how things were. He had been selfish far too many times in the past, so he wouldn't be so anymore in demanding Naruto's comprehension. If this is how it was going to be, it was yet another reason for him to stay away. It was becoming harder and harder to deal with every interaction between them.

_Sasuke! Wait for me!_

He hadn't heard the words inside his brain, and yet, the strange sensation that ran over his body felt like a calling to his very soul. Naruto was conveying his emotions through their connection, and since it didn't happen often, Sasuke was caught off guard.

He stopped in his tracks abruptly, looking over his shoulder in surprise. Through his chakra, he could feel Naruto calling out to him, demanding his attention.

Blinking in disbelief at the forest behind him, he felt his heartbeat race as he felt Naruto's presence coming closer and closer with each passing second. Sasuke looked up on instinct just in time to see the loud idiot landing on the branch of a tree right over his head before finally jumping down from it and landing in a crouching position in front of him.

As Naruto straightened up, Sasuke watched his every move with his eyebrows quirked upwards inquisitively. Naruto was wearing a grey colored traveling cloak, and he was even carrying a large bag. The blond looked serious and determined.

"What the hell are you doing, Naruto?" Sasuke asked, just as Naruto proudly walked past him.

"Well, I'm coming with you," Naruto said as if it was obvious, not bothering to look back. Sasuke watched his retreating back for a while, dumbfounded, before following after him. He didn't try to keep up with his friend's pace, though; he just kept walking a few steps behind him, eyes boring holes into the back of Naruto's neck.

"Why?" he whispered, unsure if he should feel happy or just plain confused. "You just left Hinata in the village to come with me?"

"It's just this once," his friend said easily, with a shrug. "I'm not going to become a philosophical traveler like you, if that's what you're thinking." Sasuke could swear he detected a smile in Naruto's voice. "You once said you wanted to show me things. Well, I've been thinking that I want to see them, too. With you. Besides, I owe you this."

"You _owe_ me?" Sasuke frowned. "So you're coming with me out of some debt you think you need to repay?"

Naruto turned around so fast Sasuke didn't have time to stop so he ended up bumping into him.

"I just said I wanted to do this with you," the blond one said, looking displeased at Sasuke's misinterpretation of his words. "Don't be an ass. I go because _I want to_." He poked Sasuke on the chest for emphasis. "We _need_ this. I want to hang out with you. You've been an ass, and I probably lack some sensitivity to your mood swings or whatever, but that doesn't mean I don't miss you or that I don't care."

"I know you care," Sasuke replied, eyeing the other's features attentively. "But still, what do you expect to accomplish?"

"I don't know, but somehow, maybe this will be good for us?" Naruto said, with a small shrug. "Maybe we can settle things once and for all. I want to be a part of whatever it is you're doing out there that makes you feel accomplished."

Sasuke bit on his lower lip, staring into Naruto's eyes that refused to leave his. Somehow, with Naruto's chest pressed close to his and their faces mere inches away from each other, Sasuke wondered if the other male truly understood what he was getting himself into.

When Naruto's eyes lowered to his mouth, he was sure he was thinking about the same thing.

"This could turn out to be a really bad idea," Sasuke whispered.

Naruto smirked. "Well, we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?"

TBC...

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><p><strong>REVIEW?<strong>


	3. Endless Winter I

**A/N:****I feel the need to reinforce that, no matter what happens in 'Naruto The Last Movie' this fic will ONLY follow the events we see in the manga. I don't care about the movie; that romance pulled out of Kishi's ass means nothing to me. So, no matter what, even if this story isn't finished by the time the movie is released, do not let the movie influence your vision on this. MANGA ONLY.**

Not beated for the time being.

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><p><span><strong>From Which We'll Rise<strong>

**Part III: Endless Winter I**

"Nee, Sasuke," Naruto mumbled, with his arms behind his head, looking at his travelling companion from the corner of his eye as they walked side by side on that grey afternoon. "How long will we be away?"

"We've only been gone for two days, and you're already wanting to get back?" Sasuke inquired, frowning at him. "You might as well have stayed there."

Arms dropping to his sides, Naruto felt himself fuming almost instantly. "I don't want to go back, damn it, it was just a question!" he replied, his voice so loud it made a few birds fly from their perches atop of the trees in fright. "I was just making conversation since I'm the only who's even bothering to talk around here!"

"Well, yeah, sorry for not thinking my input would be appreciated since you talk enough for the both of us," Sasuke offered, dryly.

"That's not true!" Naruto defended. "I only talk a lot because you don't and it becomes boring when all we're doing is walking and running!"

"Whatever."

With a huff, Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and pouted.

They had been on the road for two days, apparently simply heading towards wherever, and they had barely had a decent conversation. Firstly, because Sasuke had been bent on putting as much distance between them and Konoha as he possibly could on the first day, so they had practically spent it running until they could barely feel their legs. They had set camp to spend the night, and while Naruto had fallen asleep at some point, Sasuke had kept watch until morning.

There were many things Naruto wanted to tell Sasuke, and many things he wanted to ask him. There wasn't much to say about those two years and a few months that had passed since the war that Sasuke didn't know about, and yet, he felt like he wanted to talk to him, so he did, even if he had nothing very insightful to say. At least he was making an _effort_.

More than talking, Naruto wanted Sasuke to tell him things, like what he had been up to during his travels, what he had seen, about people he had met…

But his friend often kept to himself, his conversations polite enough when they weren't bickering. Sometimes, Sasuke told him small facts. Like on the first night they spend together and Sasuke managed to do a small fire jutsu with just one hand, and in a few seconds, they had a good bonfire ready.

Naruto, of course, had been surprised at his ability because most seals were made with two hands and Sasuke, only having one, was obviously at a disadvantage. However, as Sasuke had shortly explained, he had spent a lot of time studying different sources of energy and how to make his chakra respond to certain single-handed seals to summon the type of energy he needed, so while the effect wasn't exactly the same, he had realized that he could still pull off a good number of jutsu just as efficiently as before, only differently.

In spite of knowing how talented and smart Sasuke naturally was and always trusting his abysmal strength, Naruto had to admit that he was fairly impressed and pleased.

"I don't know how long we'll be away," Sasuke ended up saying after heaving a sigh, a clear sign of defeat and willingness to give in to his friend's whining. "I don't really leave thinking about when I'll get back. It could be weeks, or months. We'll see."

At Sasuke's softer tone, Naruto relaxed. "It's not like I'm eager to get back or anything," he felt the need to explain, with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. "I'm kind of excited about this, to be honest."

A thunder echoed in the air and they both looked up to see the sky darkening. "I think it's going to rain," Sasuke observed absently. Considering how the weather had been threatening them since they left the village, Naruto couldn't help but agree.

"Travelling during the winter," he said, smiling at his friend. "You really _are_ crazy."

To his surprise, Sasuke returned the action with a small, soft smirk that made Naruto's throat run dry – he still hadn't been able to get used to those rare, genuine smiles, small as they were. "It's during the hardest times that we give value to small things. I find the winter to be my favorite season for travelling and learning."

With his eyebrows quirked upwards, Naruto watched as Sasuke pursed his lips together and turned his face away from him, focusing on the path ahead of them. He couldn't find the words to respond to that, for some reason, so he just kept staring at the other – who chose to ignore him – not able to understand why he was feeling such a sense of understanding all of a sudden.

000

"So, they finally left together..." Sakura said casually, stirring her hot chocolate with a spoon to cool it down.

"It seems that way," Hinata muttered with a small nod, both hands cradling her mug of tea. "I'm surprised it took that long, to be very honest."

It was raining outside the small coffee shop. The two had been spending the afternoon together, shopping and talking about mundane things when the weather had suddenly taken a turn for the worse. It was terribly cold all of a sudden, too, and Sakura regretted not having brought a thicker jacket.

The Hyuuga heiress was looking down at her hands, her beautiful face thoughtful and her clear eyes morose – something Sakura hadn't seen in her in a long time. She hadn't even touched her tea yet.

"You look sad, Hinata-chan," Sakura observed gently, making the other girl look up at her. "What's wrong?"

Hinata gave her a small, elegant shrug. "I just miss him, that's all," she mumbled, and Sakura didn't need to ask to know _who_ she was referring to. "I know it's only been a couple of days, but still..."

"Yeah, I miss them, too," Sakura said, smiling a bit. "Well, Sasuke-kun is never around, anyway, so I guess I've kind of gotten used to the feeling of his absence."

Hinata's attention perked up at that, and she seemed genuinely surprised. "You two really are together, then?" she asked, before smiling. "Congratulations! I'm very happy for you."

Internally, Sakura cringed.

"Thank you, but we're just... trying at this point," she replied, with a nervous chuckle. Well, _trying_ really was the key word. "A man like him loves deeply, but... I guess he just needs to learn how to love in a simpler way. I'm sure I can teach him that… if he allows it."

In spite of her efforts to look jovial, somehow, the façade must've been obvious to Hinata because her smile disappeared, to be replaced by sympathy.

Sakura sighed and took a sip on her hot chocolate. Yes, everybody thought that she and Sasuke were 'together', and in a way, she felt happy that the village had this impression, even though he had been a missing-nin. After all, she had chased after him for years, constantly rejecting other men's confessions, even when others told her that she was being futile and that her devotion was fruitless. At least, this way, she didn't seem like a fool.

It didn't mean she didn't feel like one, though.

It wasn't as though she didn't still love him. Sasuke had been the love of her life since she was a little girl, and no matter how much she had grown, a part of her still clung to that image of the cool, reliable kid that had been her and Naruto's teammate. She knew Sasuke had done a lot of wrong things she couldn't even begin to understand the reason of. She knew she had no ground to speak of 'love' in front of the person that he was now – someone she didn't know at all.

But, in spite of how, for a while, she had actually embraced the possibility that she had moved on and began to love somebody else (she felt guilty thinking about it with Hinata right there), truth was, in the end…

When Sasuke had smiled at her – the first, genuine smile she had ever seen coming from him directed at _her_ – she had fallen all over again.

She hated herself for it. She hated that she had the chance for something better – someone better – and yet, she had given that someone to someone else while keeping her hopes up that something good might come her way.

Because she knew that Sasuke wasn't a bad person. Naruto had seen it from the very beginning, and after everything he had done for the other, that had to mean something, didn't it?

That was why Naruto was on a whole different league from everyone else in Sasuke's eyes, and she was only able to understand it when she had seen how badly the two had injured each other during their fight, going as far as losing their arms together.

She didn't' like to delve on it but… there were things she was only beginning to understand about those two – things she was learning to accept.

Still, after Naruto and Hinata had gotten together, she had confessed to Sasuke, yet again, and he had agreed that she deserved a chance for all the shit she had gone through because of him.

She had only been happy for three seconds before he started talking and naming his conditions. They weren't exactly the best, but she had agreed to it. After all, Sakura had high hopes that they could both work everything out, at some point, and that, somewhere down the road, they could find something that was good enough for the both of them.

Sasuke wasn't even her boyfriend, yet. In fact, compared to Naruto, he seriously lacked 'boyfriend' material, but Sakura hoped that, with time, she could change that about him.

That was, if he spent enough time in the village for her to achieve it.

Sakura sighed again and focused on her female friend once more. Hinata was looking down at her mug again, a deep blush painting her cheeks, her perfect teeth biting on her own lower lip.

"What is it?" Sakura asked worriedly, noticing how the girl seemed to tense up.

"Naruto won't... do _it_... with me..." Hinata whispered, her voice so low Sakura had to lean closer across the table to hear her properly. "We've done a few things, and I've hinted several times that it's okay, but he just pretends he doesn't get it. I know he does it on purpose. I mean, how oblivious can he be?"

For one thing, Sakura was shocked that Hinata would actually talk to her about something like that, but at the same time, knowing that her teammate was holding back on sex gave her a sinking feeling – a feeling that wasn't unfamiliar to her.

"Maybe he's just not ready yet," she said carefully, reaching out a hand to place it over Hinata's hand in a reassuring manner. "After all, you're his first girlfriend. Or maybe he's planning something with more meaning?" Hinata's eyes were filled with hope at her words, and Sakura forced her mouth to form a steady, encouraging smile. "He looks like someone who would do that for you."

Hinata nodded, relaxing a bit. "Well… probably…"

Relieved, Sakura, caressed Hinata's wrist a few times before letting go. She couldn't feel bad for lying, could she? After all, Hinata wasn't to blame for Naruto's own issues that, in the end, had nothing to do with her or how he felt for her.

"Sakura-san..." Hinata started softly, turning her face towards the show window next to them. "Doesn't it scare you? _Love_, I mean." At Sakura's stunned lack of response, she smiled, still not looking at her. "I'm not stupid as to not understand that I'm no match for Sasuke-san when it comes to Naruto's heart."

Sakura swallowed hard. So, Hinata understood it, too.

"Naruto likes you very much, don't doubt that," she whispered hotly, empathy for Hinata filling her.

"I don't," Hinata admitted. "But I can't help but wonder, sometimes..."

Pearly eyes were lost on the streets outside for a while, contemplatively, and Sakura could only look at her in slight dismay. She felt strangely happy all of a sudden, for knowing that she wasn't alone in the middle of Naruto and Sasuke's relationship. Hinata wasn't stupid at all, she knew her place and still, just like Sakura, she was bent on prevailing. While Sakura had always liked her, now she felt like they shared something very personal that no-one should ever know, and for that, they had each other's backs.

With a smile, Sakura took another sip on her beverage. Then, she lowered the cup and adjusted herself on her stool so she was very straight, feeling confident. "Listen, Hinata-chan... men aren't like us," she started, firmly, her tone catching the other girl's attention once more. "Us, women, are selfish when it comes to love. We want affection, love, and devotion. We want to be the center of our partner's universe. Men are devoted to the person they love, more than women, I believe."

Blinking a few times, Hinata nodded, looking very serious.

"Now, I don't really understand what's going on between those two, but... there's no doubt in my mind that they love each other in ways we can only ever dream of being loved," Sakura proceeded, as if it was the most natural thing to say in the world and, in a way, it felt that way because she knew it was completely true. "This is why we are lucky. Because it's so unconditional that they become completely selfless. They will never demand a single thing from the other, and they will do whatever is in their reach to make sure the other is happy and fulfilled. Do you understand?"

Hinata was silent, taking the information in. Then, she wet her lips, her big eyes becoming strangely calm, making Sakura smile wider. "I... I think so."

"We have nothing to worry about," Sakura said, her tone becoming jovial. "Naruto's love for you is different from that, but it exists all the same, so it's okay. It's because it's so distinct that your place is exclusive."

Which was also true. Hinata had from Naruto what she could only pray in order to have with Sasuke. In spite of everything, she knew the blond cherished his girlfriend and that, in his eyes, she was what no woman would ever be able to be. There was no doubt in Sakura's mind that he loved her. They were good together and balanced each other well.

The thought brought a bitter taste to her mouth, though.

"I see..." Hinata mumbled, a shy, but pleased smile forming in her pretty lips.

"He'll be a changed man when he returns, trust me," Sakura pressed on, certain of herself. "Hopefully I'll be just as lucky. I can't help it that my love is selfish..."

Hinata's smile grew, and it was so sweet and friendly that Sakura couldn't help but feel bad for ever feeling jealous of her. "Selfish or selfless..." Hinata said, with an encouraging tone in her voice. "Love is still love, no? So there's no wrong in it as long as your feelings are sincere."

"Yeah..." the pink-haired one mumbled, with a small chuckle. "I wonder if that's true..."

Because, no matter what, she loved Sasuke, but knew she still had lingering feelings for Naruto, who had become the better man, growing up to be a hero, strong, reliable and handsome. But Sasuke had returned to her far too soon, and she had realized her feelings of longing for Naruto far too late.

Truth was… if given a say on the matter…

She wished she didn't have to choose. If the universe was, in any way, kind to her – kind to her two boys…

It was only right that the three of them became a family. That way, they would all have what they needed and the balance in team 7 would achieve perfection.

Or, at least, perfection for _her_.

But, as it was, the puzzle was incomplete, and there would forever be pieces missing no matter what. Especially in Naruto's and Sasuke's lives, and this would, obviously, have repercussions in their lives with Sakura and Hinata, sooner or later.

All they could do now, Sakura thought, was wait and hope that her own words about their bond were true.

000

They were running as fast as they could through the woods, the pouring rain soaking both their clothes and chilling them to the bone.

Sasuke ran ahead of him and Naruto knew he had both his sharingan and rinnegan activated so he could see their path properly. It was hard for Naruto to see with the incessant water falling over his eyes, so he relied on his senses alone, focusing his hearing on the sound of Sasuke's breathing and his quick footsteps so he could follow their direction. Night was falling quickly, so it wouldn't take long before they stopped having light altogether.

Under different circumstances, they would've stopped already to make camp for the night, but Sasuke had insisted that there was an abandoned cottage nearby where they could stay for a few days if the apparent storm approaching lingered for too long.

"I can see it!" he heard Sasuke shout over the noise of rain and thunder and Naruto thanked the heavens because things were about to get really ugly out there.

After what felt like far too long, Sasuke came to a halt that made him stop, as well. He could barely see, but there was no doubt that they were now standing in front of a small, old and asymmetric house made of stone.

"Help me out!" Sasuke shouted, and Naruto could make out his gesture towards the heavy wooden door. The two proceeded to push the door together, but it was very thick and heavy, and its surface was far too slippery from the rain so the process was difficult. He understood why Sasuke didn't want to use chakra to help them open it since it would most likely destroy the rusty hinges with the force.

They managed to open it enough to create a gap they could slip through, so, following Sasuke's lead, Naruto threw his bag inside first, accepting Sasuke's as well and doing the same before squeezing his way in. Sasuke managed to get inside as well behind him, and together they pushed the door closed again.

The two turned and leaned their backs on it, panting heavily from hours of travelling and the exertion of getting to the cottage as soon as possible with their clothes and possessions – little as they were – weighing them down.

Breathing hard, Naruto wiped the excess of water from his eyes and managed to focus his vision. He looked to the side and found Sasuke with his head leaning back against the door, eyes closed and lips parting as he tried to steady his breath.

"Shitty weather, huh?" Naruto joked, making Sasuke look back at him, mismatched eyes heavy with fatigue. "You look like a drowned cat, by the way," he couldn't help but point out, finding it extremely hilarious that Sasuke's usually rebel hair was now stuck to his face and neck.

"Should I point out what_ you_ look like right now?" Sasuke retorted, managing a small but rather nasty smirk that wiped Naruto's grin out.

"Shut up," he mumbled, running his hand self-consciously over his dripping hair. He looked around the place, noticing that it was, indeed, very small – there was only one division. On the wall in front of him stood a large fireplace that also seemed to serve as a stove, since there was an old pot in the middle of the ashes there. There was a huge chest on the wall to the left, underneath the small window, and on the right, one could see a robust wooden closet with a metallic bucket next to it. The floor was made of stone, and even if everything was a bit dusty and dirty, it was obvious the place had been well kept. "How did you even know about this place?"

"I came across it during my first journey," Sasuke explained, looking up at the ceiling filled with cobwebs. "An old lady lived here back then, and I had been lost on the road for days and ended up coming down with a fever. This was like heaven to me. She nursed me back to health, gave me shelter and food in exchange of me helping her out for a while. She was really old and lonely, could barely see or hear properly." Sasuke closed his eyes again. There was no expression on his features, but Naruto could feel that his friend felt thankful to her. "Last year I came by and found her dead. Had been for a long time, I think. So, I buried her. But the place was still alright, so I thought we could come here."

In spite of himself, Naruto found his heart warming at the story and couldn't help but smile. "It's a pretty cool place," he said. "Too bad she isn't here anymore."

Sasuke re-opened his eyes, and they were back to their dark grey color. Then, he sneezed a couple of times. "We should probably start a fire or something." He sniffed, wiping his nose on his sleeve. "I think I left enough wood in the trunk. And we should probably take off our clothes or we'll catch pneumonia."

Absently, Naruto watched as Sasuke leaned away from the door and removed his black cloak. There was a wide hanger on the wall next to the door where Sasuke hung it, motioning with his head for Naruto to do the same, which he did.

It wasn't particularly cold inside the cottage, but with his body cooling down after the run, he knew it wouldn't be long before he and Sasuke started freezing.

Sasuke gave him a few quick instructions and together, the two hurriedly moved about to get things done. Sasuke took care of the fireplace, efficiently starting a fire, while Naruto rummaged the huge closet where we found several thick blankets – they kind of smelled funny, like dust and smelly feet, but it would have to do – and a few worn out cloths. As Naruto stretched the fluffiest blanket out on the floor, a placed another one on top of it, Sasuke seemed to be busy removing his clothes and hanging them next to their cloaks, so Naruto grabbed for some of the old cloths and moved over to him, handing a few to Sasuke once he was only on his boxers, which he accepted with a silent nod of gratitude.

Naruto also removed his clothes and hung them next to his friend's, actually feeling less cold without them off, and took a few seconds to thoroughly dry himself, trying not to stare too much at the remains of Sasuke's left upper arm that were neatly wrapped up in white bandages.

While he dried his hair, his eyes followed Sasuke's movements as he went to the fireplace, taking off his sandals and putting them to the side before crouching down in front of it to warm himself up in front of the fire. Naruto, for his part, also removed his sandals and headed for the blanket. He sat down, the heat in front of him comforting. He threw the other wide blanket over his shoulders.

"Hey, Sasuke," he called out, making the other look over his shoulder. The way his hair was tousled from the friction of the drying, making him look strangely young. "Come here."

Naruto stretched out his legs and spread them to the sides a bit as he lifted up the blanket a bit and motioned the other male closer. Sasuke didn't reply, looking at him as if considering whether even being that close to Naruto was something he should do (or wanted to do), making the blond roll his eyes. "I'm not going to eat you, for fuck's sake."

In spite of the words, Sasuke still considered it before carefully straightening up and going to him, rapt eyes unblinking. Demandingly, Naruto lifted his chin up as if daring his friend to say something, but Sasuke didn't open his mouth, simply sitting down between his legs with his back to him and leaning back a bit so that his chilly skin was in contact with Naruto's also naked chest. He pulled his knees to his chest, and smiling a bit, Naruto surrounded Sasuke's shoulders with both his arms, efficiently wrapping the blanket around him as well.

They were silent for a while, both contemplating the fire. Gradually, as his body heated up, Sasuke relaxed in Naruto's embrace, releasing a tiny sigh of exhaustion. Naruto felt like he was comfortable enough, and feeling happy that he had been able to provide that feeling, he allowed the thumb of his right hand to brush over Sasuke's collarbone, resenting a bit that his bandaged hand couldn't feel the skin there.

"Why do you have your whole arm bandaged?" Sasuke asked casually, lifting his hand to touch said arm, fingers absently brushing over the rough texture of the bandages.

The question took Naruto by surprise, but he found that he had no problem in answering it. "I guess it's a lot of things," he replied easily. "Baa-chan tried to make a mirror copy of my left arm, but the skin tone is still darker than mine. Also, I kind of feel self-conscious about not having it bandaged."

"How so?"

Naruto wet his lips. "Because I lost that arm because of you," he said softly. "I got my arm back but you didn't. I can't just pretend that it didn't happen and flaunt my new arm around. People will forget that I didn't have it for a while. They can't._ I_ can't. I want to always be remembered of it."

Sasuke fidgeted a bit, his hand now grabbing Naruto's forearm. "You can't think about it like that," he muttered, gravely. "What happened may have been meaningful, but life goes on and things change. My decision of not having my arm back is my own. You have yours, and that's how it was supposed to be."

"No," Naruto retorted stubbornly, tightening his arms around his friend, his left hand with fingers sprawled over Sasuke's chest. "If I had known you weren't going to get your arm back, I would've never have allowed Baa-chan to get me a new one."

"You're foolish," Sasuke said simply. "Always such an idealist, but that's not how things work."

Naruto didn't feel like contradicting him, knowing that the topic would start a fight he didn't feel like having when they were sharing such a peaceful moment. He knew he was an idealist, but that was what made him who he was, and when it came to Sasuke, his ideals would always prevail. It ate at him that Sasuke was, more often than not, bent on simply doing things his own way without including him. It made him ecstatic that Sasuke had allowed him to tag along on this journey. Well, even if Sasuke were to tell him to go home, he would've followed him anyway until the other accepted him.

But Sasuke wanted him around, it seemed – he had said so all those months ago in Rice Country, but after so long, and after Naruto had refused the offer, one would think that he'd still be bitter about it.

Burying his face on the curve of Sasuke's neck, Naruto said, in a grumpy way "You're a bastard. You never ask for my opinion on anything." He bit on his lip. "Does not having an arm make you happy in any way?"

"It gives me peace." Sasuke didn't bother to say anything else after that, giving the topic a definite end.

Well, Naruto thought, feeling his heart being squeezed by an invisible force. At least _that_ he could understand.

Raising his head up a bit again, Naruto looked down at the pretty curve of that neck and observed it for a while, not really thinking about anything in particular. Then, he pressed his lips to it carefully, once, enjoying the sudden jerk in the other's body who, otherwise, didn't seem to want to move.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked, his voice devoid of emotion.

Naruto planted another kiss over the smooth skin before speaking lowly in his ear. "Do you always have to ask questions?" he whispered, feeling Sasuke shiver slightly again. "'What are you doing, Naruto?', 'Why are you here, Naruto?', 'Why, Naruto?'… Cant' you just _not_ ask questions?"

"It's hard when you keep doing impulsive things without a valid reason," Sasuke said, accusingly.

"Sasuke, hear me out on this," Naruto said, with a tired sigh. "I came with you for _you_. For _us_. Konoha is Konoha, and this is this. The village is there, and I am here, to be with you, to understand you, to… see what's going on between us. I don't want to mix things. I'm here with an open mind, to focus on you, and that's all there is to it. Don't ask questions I don't know the answers to, okay?"

He could feel Sasuke swallowing hard, his muscles tensing up again, and yet, his hand didn't let go of Naruto's arm. "I know that you think I'm in love with you," he said, dispassionately. "So let me say it clearly, so there're no misconceptions: I'm _not_ in love with you."

Placing his chin over Sasuke's shoulder, Naruto smiled. "You've already said something like that," he pointed out. "But there's definitely something different, isn't there? I kissed you and you kissed back."

Sasuke made an exasperated sound with the back of his throat. "Naruto, you're _in love_ with Hinata," he replied, shaking his head from side to side. "You like her, you want to have sex with her and be gentle to her. You look at her and you feel like she could be your wife, the mother of your kids, because she cherishes you, gives you everything you want and keeps you grounded. Am I right?"

Naruto pursed his lips together. Listening to Sasuke talking about Hinata and his relationship with her felt off, for some reason, and was embarrassing to him. "I guess…"

"The way I feel for you…" Sasuke proceeded, his words coming out slower, more careful this time. "It's different. Completely different."

"Do you know what it is?" Naruto inquired, curiously.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I have a definition for it," Sasuke answered. "It's just… different. It's not that at all, and yet, it's more."

Naruto perked up in astonishment. "_More_?"

Sasuke huffed. "I know you feel it, too, but it's no use trying to explain it to you if you can't identify it. Once you understand it for yourself, you'll know. Saying that I'm 'in love' with you makes me want to punch you. Several times."

In spite of his confusion and slight shock, Naruto chuckled. "Sorry about that. I really didn't mean to offend you." He joined his temple with Sasuke's, happy at the lack of rejection. "I know that we feel the same way about each other in some things, but certain things really are a bit blurry to me. You're my best friend, someone very precious to me, and yet, I don't really understand _us_ at all. That's why I'm not holding back on this. I'm not holding back on my feelings for you like I've been doing all these years, too afraid that you might run away or reject me. I want to know what you know, Sasuke."

Sasuke merely nodded, letting his own temple relax against Naruto's. "Alright."

Naruto knew they still had a lot to talk about, a lot to say to each other and a lot to learn about each other. But this time, Sasuke wasn't pushing him away, and they really were in this together, because they both wanted that comprehension between them.

And while finding it was something that scared him a little, it was also very exciting because he'd be with only Sasuke for weeks, something that was new to the both of them. Who knew what things they'd see and do together?

A loud growling noise coming from Naruto's stomach shook them both out of the blissful moment of peacefulness they were sharing. Sasuke twisted his body so he was looking at him with one eyebrow quirked upwards. Naruto grinned sheepishly. "I'm starving."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I'm going to get us something to eat," he said as he untangled himself from Naruto's hold, who pouted at the lack of contact once he got up and headed towards their bags.

Still, as soon as Sasuke turned his back on him, Naruto grinned again. It was weird how he could feel so warm inside from so little.

He found that he didn't mind the feeling at all.

000

With his elbow supporting his weight and his head resting on his hand, Naruto watched his friend intently. Sasuke was sleeping on his back, face turned slightly away from him, lips parted as he breathed in and out soundlessly, his hand resting over his chest.

The fire was crackling gently behind Naruto and since the division was already warm enough, he had kept a comfortable distance between them so the other's heat would make him feel too hot.

_I'm not in love with you._

Naruto hadn't been able to sleep, thinking about their conversation. It was weird how little often they spoke, but whenever they did talk about things, Sasuke always managed to say things that made him think.

_It's just… different. It's not that at all, and yet, it's more._

Naruto couldn't comprehend this. If Sasuke wasn't in love with him, then why had he responded like that when he had kissed him? There had to be some… _deeper_ feelings that went beyond friendship, right?

But then again, Naruto himself had taken the initiative to kiss him, hadn't he? And he wasn't in love with him, was he?

He still couldn't understand what had taken over him to do something like that. It hadn't been some sort of instant attraction or lust or anything. Even if he had gotten strangely hard because of it, somehow, it felt like the response had been born more out of the intensity of the conflicting feelings he was having other than some sexual hunger.

Naruto frowned, biting his lip. No, he definitely wasn't in love with Sasuke. He was in love with Hinata, he was sure, and yet the feelings he had for his best friend were very different from what he felt for her. They came from a deeper, darker place and had been built from years and years of everything that consisted of them. He was aware that the way he felt for Sasuke had nothing to do with how he felt for, let's say, Sai, Kiba or even Shikamaru. It was stronger, definitely.

Their souls were linked. In another life, they had been brothers. Sasuke was definitely like a brother to him. They were family, dysfunctional as it was.

Raising his hand, Naruto carefully brushed an inky strand off Sasuke's closed eyelid. He felt his breath catch momentary. The bastard sure was good-looking, no doubt about it. Looking at his sleeping features like this made Naruto's chest swell with a sense of fondness and something else he couldn't quite describe.

He loved Sasuke, he knew that. But what that meant, exactly, to him, wasn't something he knew how to put into words, and it irked even him. It was love, but maybe not romantic love, or at least not on the same level as the romantic 'love' he had with Hinata. He had enjoyed kissing him, even if it had been brutal in every sense of the word, yes.

His feelings for Sasuke had always been there, loud and all over the place and he was used to them. It was what it was, and he hadn't once questioned them, or himself – he hadn't felt the need to. But Sasuke was demanding and, in a way, Naruto felt like he owed him a proper answer, especially because even he was curious about what, exactly, was the depth of what bound them to each other in a such a way.

He had told Sasuke that he had come on that journey for them, and he meant it. From the moment he came face to face with his friend, he decided to leave his life behind for as long as they were away. It was just him and Sasuke now, and everything else would be secondary in his mind. He owed them both that.

Which was why he didn't think too much about it when he dared his hand to touch Sasuke's chin lightly so he was carefully turning his face to him. As his thumb absently brushed over the soft skin of his friend's jaw, Naruto allowed his eyes to roam over the other's strong, but well-defined features, a little surprised by how peaceful he looked while asleep. Just like when he smiled, Naruto mused – it was if it turned him into a different person altogether and allowed his light to shine.

Because Sasuke also had 'light'. Maybe it wasn't perceptible to others, but it was to him. So perceptible, in fact, that he knew Sasuke willingly didn't show that light to anyone else. And the sheer fact that he was able to relax so completely around him was proof of that.

A sudden wave of pride filled him – pride for knowing that certain parts of Sasuke were exclusive to him – as well as a strange possessiveness he couldn't quite place.

Wetting his lips, he leaned down and pressed them to the ones beneath him, chastely, before pulling away. Then, he considered his friend for a few seconds before doing it again.

There was no telling what had come over him, but he found himself planting a series of small, repetitive kisses on Sasuke's mouth, feeling oddly affectionate for some reason and needing to act upon it. It wasn't as much as a physical need to express it like that other than it was just something instinctual.

Feeling almost playful, he kissed Sasuke's lower lip before gently sucking it into his mouth. He liked the way Sasuke tasted, which was a weird train of thought for him, who didn't really take notice of such trivial things.

However, he found that he was really enjoying his curious exploration. He smiled against the other's mouth before using the tip of his tongue to trace the seam of Sasuke's lower lip, then doing the same to his upper one, relishing in how surprisingly soft they felt under the wet muscle.

In the back of his mind, he knew it wasn't exactly right to risk being frisky while Sasuke was asleep, but he couldn't help it. He had no idea what he was hoping to accomplish, anyway, but at that moment, it was better than giving himself a headache. Besides, trying something like this with an awaken Sasuke would surely be almost the same as petting a hungry lion, or so he feared.

With his eyes glued to Sasuke's face, he adjusted his position so he was half hovering over the other male. Both his hands were placed on each side of Sasuke's head and yet, he wasn't touching him at all. For some reason, he wasted some time simply watching the perfect lines of Sasuke's face, his dark eyelashes, and the unbelievably pretty nose. It was almost ridiculous how clear that skin of his was. Girls had to be jealous of that, Naruto mused.

Naruto didn't hesitate this time and brushed his mouth over Sasuke's again, slowly but confidently this time, feeling his heart skip a pleasant beat.

It was so weird. He _really_ enjoyed Sasuke's taste. He hadn't been able to properly push it to the back of his mind after they had kissed – in fact, he had thought about it over and over again, because the sensations provided by that same taste had plagued him.

He really didn't know what the hell he was thinking, but he felt terribly bold all of a sudden and his need to have a taste of that again overpowered him, so he pressed his mouth more to Sasuke's, going so far as to daring his tongue to sneak inside the warm cavern to touch the other's. Instantly, a pleasurable chill ran down his spine, filling him with an almost childish excitement. This wasn't anything that he could possibly say that he knew. Kissing Hinata didn't feel like this at all.

A strong, unexpected tug on the hairs at the back of his head made him grunt in pain and brace himself to break the contact.

"You don't know when to stop, do you?" Sasuke's smooth voice said. "You're always an impulsive idiot."

"Ouch, bastard, that fucking hurts!" Naruto complained, looking down at his friend's reproachful face. He hadn't even sensed Sasuke's hand moving, so lost in his own pleasure as he had been. "Do you always have to be so aggressive?"

"I'm sorry if waking up with someone's tongue shoved down my throat doesn't awaken the kitten in me," Sasuke said sarcastically, but without a single drop of amusement in his voice. If anything, the death grip on Naruto's head became more painful.

"Let go, damn it!" the blond demanded, dropping half of his weight on top of his friend, one forearm on the blanket beneath him next to Sasuke's head. He reached behind him to grab Sasuke's wrist that tug pull his hand away, almost moaning in relief when those strong fingers complied and released his hair. Looking down at the other male's frowning face, he felt himself blush. He should've had a little more restraint, it was obvious that Sasuke would wake up, and all things considered, he was lucky to have gotten away with just a hair pull. "You're not going to start asking questions again, are you?"

"No," Sasuke said, impassively. "I should, though, if I'm in danger of being molested in my sleep from now on."

Naruto's blush deepened in outrage. "I wasn't molesting you!" he yelled. "I was just trying something out."

"Of course you were," the condescending tone Sasuke used now allowed him to know that he wasn't angry, but Naruto wasn't sure what he was thinking at the moment. "Surely you had your fun, though."

Naruto pursed his lips together, moving his hold so it was grabbing for Sasuke's hand instead. Sasuke's eyed travelled to their joined hands before looking back at Naruto's blue eyes, his narrowing gaze far too knowledgeable. For a moment, Naruto thought he was going to say something, but instead, he just waited, patiently, for his next move.

And, truth be told, Naruto couldn't help but still feel brave. If he had been enjoying himself when the other was asleep, there was no doubt in his mind that it would be a lot better if Sasuke was aware and responding.

"Can we… do it for real this time?" Naruto inquired carefully, slowly intertwining their fingers together while his other hand moved to rub a few strands of Sasuke's hair between his fingers. "I'm sure it'll feel better without teeth and blood in the middle."

Sasuke's eyes seemed to gain a whole new level of expressivity and he smirked nastily. "Idiot," he said, in a whisper that was almost seductive. "At least do it properly this time."

Naruto bit on his lower lip, blue eyes taking their time scanning Sasuke's calm face and relishing in the almost studious way those beautifully intense dark ones looked back. Naruto felt strangely serene, yet, inside of him lay that strange wave of affection and anxiety that made him want to do all sorts of embarrassing things at that moment. It felt foreign to him, to want to do those things to his best friend, and he wasn't sure if those urges were being directed at Sasuke, or if he was simply feeling needy.

Leaning down, he brushed his nose over the spot under Sasuke's ear, soft strands of inky hair tickling his cheekbones. Sasuke turned his face to the side, consequentially exposing more of his neck, and Naruto, taking the invitation for what it was, planted a small, experimental kiss on the spot.

He took a second to take a whiff of Sasuke's scent and found exactly what he had been looking for – the smell of grass, rain, a bit of sweat and that something else that was very _him_. Sasuke's scent made him feel fuzzy inside with the familiarity of it.

Slowly, Naruto distributed several open mouthed kisses down the elegant column of the other's neck, loving the way his friend's breath caught in his throat. Smirking, Naruto used the tip of his tongue to trace the path back up, leaving a trail of saliva on the other's skin before gently blowing on it. Sasuke made a small, soft noise with the back of his throat, causing Naruto's heart to beat wildly with excitement. He found that he loved his best friend's dissimulated reactions immensely.

He took the liberty of gently nibbling on the line of Sasuke's perfect jaw, stopping at his chin, where he delivered a small peck. He watched, mesmerized, Sasuke's lips part when he sighed. Their eyes met in silent acknowledgement that this was completely mutual. Sasuke tilted his head slightly to the side in clear invitation, and that was everything Naruto needed to fill the gap between them.

Their open mouths met, carefully at first, just a small, tentative brush of lips meant to test out the dynamics of the kiss so they could find a suitable rhythm for the both of them. Then, Sasuke's tongue darted out playfully to lick at the inside of Naruto's upper lip a few times, and he let him, wanting Sasuke to enjoy himself, as well, and explore him as much as he wanted. Then, Naruto trapped that teasing tongue between his lips, sucking on it gently before conceding entrance inside his mouth. He could almost swear Sasuke had released a small laugh before their mouths were pressed together. The sound itself made adrenaline rush through his body and before he knew it, he was losing his composure and intensifying the kiss, tongue sliding hungrily over Sasuke's and immediately feeling Sasuke's equally eager response.

_Ah, Sasuke's taste…_

Just as before, it was intoxicating, addicting. They were able to find a good, steady pace for them, mouths clashing over and over again, noisily, lips slippery, tongues battling furiously but not with the intent to overpower or dominate. It was a lewd, slow, but intense kiss that felt different from anything Naruto had ever experienced.

Naruto had the sudden urge to touch his friend everywhere, still, he was glad that his position didn't allow it and that his fingers were still so strongly linked to Sasuke's.

The feelings inside of him caused by the kiss were confusing and untamed. That mouth was sinful and he wanted to drown in it, drown in the sheer joy and completion he felt, and yet, it felt painful and he didn't know why.

He didn't know much about kissing since he had only ever kissed Hinata like that, but as far as kisses went, if the violent one they had shared had been good, this one felt…

It felt as if his entire being was spinning out of control.

Sasuke moaned softly against him, the sound low and seductive unlike anything he had ever heard, and he found himself becoming harder because of it.

While before, having an erection had felt natural because of how angry they had been and how sudden the act of kissing Sasuke had hit him, now, it was confusing. He was knowledgeable enough by now to know what kind of things brought him to hardness, but kissing his best friend wasn't on the list.

Not that he was complaining. He knew that something was definitely wrong with him. He had a girlfriend – a beautiful one at that, whom he loved deeply – and that he wasn't supposed to want to kiss someone else or feel hard for someone else.

_Hinata…_

No, he had promised himself that he wouldn't mix things and that he would just focus on his feelings for Sasuke. If Hinata came into play, he just knew that she would affect his judgment, and he couldn't have that.

Because Sasuke was… Sasuke. Sasuke deserved his attention – they both deserved this time they were spending together, no matter what would happen along the duration of that journey. And for some reason, he couldn't find fault in that.

Noticing he was short on oxygen, he broke the kiss, panting and letting his forehead rest against Sasuke's and feeling the other male's equally labored breath against his lips.

"Ah, I feel dizzy," Naruto muttered, keeping his eyes closed and feeling his head spinning. "I feel like I'm falling."

"Isn't that how it's supposed to feel like?" Sasuke breathed. Naruto almost smiled.

_Is it, now?_

Without warning, Sasuke pried his hand free from Naruto's, and next thing the blond knew, he was being suddenly rolled over and a heavy weight was being settled on his things.

Wide blue eyes looked up to see Sasuke straddling him, looking peculiarly alluring, what with him being practically naked, his bangs partially obscuring his features and yet, his gaze was blazing with life, almost predatory. Even without that fucking arm and the several scars covering the milky skin, his body was well built and aesthetically perfect, all of him flawless lines and taut, well-defined muscles. Naruto couldn't help but notice the obvious tent in the other male's grey boxers, but Sasuke didn't seem too self-conscious about it – after all, he was sitting with his ass right on top of Naruto's very prominent hard on.

When Sasuke licked at his lips, Naruto swallowed hard, unable to shake the sheer longing assaulting him with such violence he didn't know what to do with himself.

Reaching out, he placed both his palms over Sasuke's chest. "More?" he said, ignoring the fact that he sounded childish and pitifully pleading.

Inhaling deeply, Sasuke nodded once. "Yeah."

As he leaned down to lie on top of him, Naruto surrounded his neck with both arms to pull him close, his lips ready to receive the ones that wasted no time in capturing his.

There was no telling how much time they spent simply exploring each other's mouths until they hurt. Getting some oxygen into their lungs was a necessary evil that sometimes forced them apart for a few seconds during which they simply stared into each other's eyes, trying to read what the other was feeling and thinking, before resuming the almost thirsty kissing.

It wasn't right, Naruto knew, but it _felt_ right, and the more time they spent doing it, the better it became and the righter it felt.

And Naruto felt only too powerless to do something to contradict the need inside him – a need he had no idea he had had up until this point.

Realizing that he didn't really want to fight it, anyway, wasn't nearly as shocking as it should've been.

TBC…

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><p><strong>Guest Review Replies:<strong>

**_TTracee:_**_Thank you, I'm so glad you like the story! Yeah, I wanted to show that, because I really believe that it doesn't matter what happens to their lives or who they're with: they will always 'migrate back to each other' as you so perfectly said. Their bond will always manifest itself if they spend time together. About Sasuke and Sakura, I think it was sort of explained on this chapter? Things will be clearer as the story progresses. Thank you for reading and commenting!_

**_Burr: _**_Thank you so much! It will have a happy ending, don't worry about it ;) But, as I said to some of the readers, there will be drama and quite a few plot twists, since it does follow canon. Thank you for reading and commenting, and I hope you liked this chapter! ;)_

_Guest: Thank you! I don't plan on stretching this story for too long, so I'm trying not waste too much time on useless stuff. Although, maybe this whole chapter was kinda useless, good stuff aside, no? Hehe. Thank you for reading and commenting!_

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><p><strong>Don't ask me what this chapter is about. I had a few plans for it, but these two really needed to blow off some steam, I suppose. This wasn't planned. But at least some things got out of the way. The 'Endless Winter' part should last for about two more chapters, and then we'll start gravitating towards the end of the fic with, hopefully, three or four more chapters to go. I'm hoping I can wrap this story up with ten chapters max. Let's keep our fingers crossed!<strong>

**I hope you all liked part III! Thank you for the love, I am ecstatic! I had no idea this story would receive so much love, THANK YOU!**

**I'll be working on 'Assuming We…' next, so look forward to it! **

**See ya next time!**

**REVIEW?**


	4. Endless Winter II

**A/N: **Not betaed. Sorry if you find typos.

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><p><span><strong>From Which We'll Rise<strong>

**Part IV: Endless Winter II**

Sasuke always brought a thick notebook with him whenever he left for his travels. It was a medium sized one, with a leathered brown cover that was already dirty and worn out from time and use, and even though he didn't exactly liked to call it a 'journal', in the end, it was exactly what it was.

Although, Sasuke didn't really write his thoughts or his feelings there, and neither did he write a daily report of his life. Instead, he wrote about all the things he saw, lessons he learned, places he visited and the people he met. His journal was like a book of information to him. Occasionally, he drew things as well, like strange looking plants, lost temples or very interesting landscapes. Sometimes, he drew maps as well. Since he didn't lack the skill, he found it to be kind of a cathartic hobby for him.

When the information he gathered was worthy, he would replicate it into a scroll and then send it to Konoha.

Naruto, he knew, was very curious about what he wrote on that notebook, sometimes trying to take a peek at it. It wasn't like he hid it from him, but Naruto did keep his distance for some reason and never asked questions whenever he saw him writing. These were the things that let him know how much Naruto had grown when compared to the obnoxious kid that had been on team 7 with him.

Things were… _alright_ between them. Apart from the occasional, expected bickering, they worked well as a team and Naruto didn't complain about the cold, lack of comfort or poor sleeping conditions. Well, they _were_ Shinobi, after all, so it wasn't like they weren't used to this kind of lifestyle.

So far, in spite of everything – including a few small not-really unexpected details of their sudden physical proximity – things had been running rather smoothly.

To Naruto's displeasure, they only spent two nights in the cottage out of necessity before moving on. It had rained heavily during those two days, and while they had managed to keep themselves fed and warm inside the cottage, they would have to find food soon enough, and Sasuke had been hoping to find civilization. By now, thanks to his maps, he could more or less understand where he was in case he wanted to head towards someplace specific.

They had been travelling for a few days already, hunting for small animals to eat – which were scarce considering the season – and spending their nights either inside caves, if they could find any. Day and night had become rather useless to them considering that, if it was raining and they couldn't find shelter, it was better to keep moving so as to not freeze to death. Sasuke's eyes would guide them in the darkness, and Naruto would follow him in a literal blind trust. When this happened, they took turns during the day watching their surroundings while the other slept for a couple of hours before moving again. If they were lucky enough to find a sheltered corner in the woods during the rain, they rarely ever found sticks and logs that were dry enough to make a fire. During those nights, they'd just wrap themselves up in their warm waterproof cloaks and stick close together in order to share body heat.

Sometimes, they'd find other ways to warm up, too, by kissing and touching a bit. These things felt natural to Sasuke, even if a little overwhelming because of how natural it apparently was for _Naruto_. It seemed almost funny to realize how easily he had given himself to the intimacy when, a few years previouly, he couldn't have the ability to even consider such a thing with Sasuke in spite of everything that drew them together, over and over again.

Not that Sasuke didn't know his friend would feel this at ease about physical contact with him since they both shared the same bond and feelings towards each other, the difference being that Sasuke understood this while Naruto didn't. He had expected the blond to at least make a small scene about it and make a big drama inside his head, but instead, he kept to his promise and just went with the flow, giving in to whatever it was that he felt like doing in regards to how he felt for Sasuke. And Sasuke had to be honest that accepting it was far too easy. It was a whole new level of emotional conflict, and a whole new level of physical ecstasy caused by that obvious flame that was theirs alone.

They didn't talk about it all that often. Naruto seemed to be respectful of Sasuke's space in a way, and yet, he was always the one to take the first step towards that intimacy. Sasuke found this longing from him to be both very intense and innocent, because he could still feel that childish need for acknowledgement coming from his friend. It felt as if Naruto still craved to have Sasuke's attention focused on him, and while he definitely had it, Sasuke tried his best to not be obvious about it. Secretly, he enjoyed that feeling of unease he got from the other if he was too quiet or closed in on himself.

Their clothes were quickly becoming worn out, the colors faded. The exhaustion was a constant and they lacked many things. It was a hard life Sasuke was already all too accustomed to. Still, the journey was a companionable one and he felt at peace, away from everything and everyone, now with his precious person by his side. It was kind of a bittersweet happiness he knew he wouldn't be able to explain if he tried.

Strangely enough, Naruto seemed content as well. He was always in a relatively good-mood, his positivity as unwavering as ever, and every time he smiled, it was genuine. Sasuke felt it in his very being – Naruto's delighted energy that never faded, bubbling powerfully every time they did something together, be it running, arguing, touching or just sharing a look.

Everything was simple between them, yet, overwhelmingly particular. Like those times when they ran together for hours on end when Sasuke could almost hear Naruto's excited thoughts inside his own head. Running was the kind of activity during which they barely spoke unless it was strictly necessary, and yet, it was when they felt more connected because they were constantly racing each other to see who could go faster and who was nimbler on their feet.

It was always a silent dare, but a mutually acknowledged one. They cheated many times, both showing off as much as they could and trying to be better than the other, but it was a friendly rivalry that was more playful than competitive, and Sasuke had to admit that he had fun. It was liberating.

And what was more… Naruto trusted him completely, and this was still a little shocking to him after all those years.

They had been on the road for far too long when they came across a small agglomerate of small wooden houses that could barely be called a 'village'. Sasuke knew they were in the Land of Rivers, close to the border that lead them to the Wind Country, where, hopefully, they would enter soon to enjoy a warmer weather. If things went well, they could even drop by Suna and pay Gaara a visit – Naruto would certainly be happy and surprised once he found out Sasuke had been keeping in touch with the young Kazekage.

The population in that agglomerate of houses was of about fifty people at most, and while the weather was sunny, it was still very cold. The people there mostly had honey colored skin and dark brown eyes. By no means was that place ruled by a leader and the population was very poor, wearing clothes made out of wool and linen and living off of the land and the animals they raised in a large farm close to the wide river they worshiped as a deity. All the families joined to make a larger one and they all worked the fields and took care of the animals as one. They shared everything with each other, and even though they lacked many things, they were a happy bunch.

Sasuke, as per usual, had entered the unknown territory with a steady plan on his mind, which had been to ask for food and shelter in exchange for their work helping with whatever they could. From his experience, he knew that equivalent exchange was a highly valued concept in the world, be it for the good or the bad. Naruto, who was a selfless person by nature, was intrigued by his theory on it.

"Even if people give you something without expecting to receive something in return, it will always be more meaningful if you show your gratitude," Sasuke had explained to Naruto. "That's how you gain trust, and with it, harmony, even amongst strangers. You accept their help, and they know you are thankful and correct if you are willing to reattribute what has been given to you. That's a form of showing appreciation."

Sometimes, Sasuke would explain Naruto his logic, just like this, and he would listen intently and look impressed, not because this was something he didn't know already, but, Sasuke knew, because he enjoyed knowing that Sasuke himself understood it. Naruto liked it when he talked about his learnings, so once in a while, Sasuke indulged him.

The people of the village were happy to receive the two young Shinobi, and while they didn't have much to offer, they immediately gave them clean clothes and warm food. They seemed a bit wary of Sasuke's deadly-looking Katana, so he thought it best to leave it in the possession of one of the families during their stay – along with Naruto's own weapons – which immediately made the people relax around them.

Since all the houses were so small and barely enough to shelter the families that lived in them, Sasuke and Naruto were given a place to sleep in the barn. After spending so many days out in the rain and cold, sleeping (only occasionally) on the hard ground, it felt like heaven to both young men.

"Doesn't it make you feel thankful?" Sasuke had asked that first night, while they were lying on their backs side by side on a makeshift bed of hay with a warm woolen blanket covering the both of them. "You have a comfortable bed at home, but after living like a hobo out in the wilderness, this makes you feel like an emperor, huh?."

"Yeah," Naruto had agreed, smiling empathically at him. "Lacking the basic comforts totally makes you value the simple things differently, right? I feel really happy right now. It feels like I haven't been this comfy in years."

And Sasuke felt happy, too, because he was making Naruto grasp what he was looking for and what he needed in his life – to value himself and what he had, little as it might be, in order to become a more humble person, capable of loving things he didn't before, and capable of giving value to people who, in other circumstances, he would only treat as business acquaintances.

He was learning to love everything the way Itachi did. Often, he wondered if his brother was looking out for him, still proud of him, still loving him the way he always did.

_I'm struggling, Itachi,_ he would think. _I want to be worthy of your feelings for me._

In spite of his past, Sasuke looked for happiness. Not a constant one, but those simple moments in life when he felt like it was good to be alive and that moving on would always be worth it. After all the hatred he had once felt, and in spite of all the resentment that would probably never truly leave his heart, it was all he could do to be even a little bit forgiving of himself.

Because he had realized that he didn't need much to be happy at all. If life was made of small, meaningful moments like those, when he could feel thankful to the world for being dry and having Naruto by his side, then he thought he could feel accomplished. He didn't need money, power or recognition anymore. He didn't need people, or even a normal family. That was all under rated to him at this point. If Naruto was by his side and they could have this similar feeling towards the world, then they would definitely be able to create the revolution the Shinobi universe needed.

000

"Misato-chan, I have your water!" Naruto announced, pushing the old wooden door of the small house open with the small of his back, being careful not to spill water from the buckets he was carrying.

Upon entering, he put the buckets down next to the door and wiped at the sweat on his forehead with a large smile towards the young girl that was kneeling on the floor in front of a low table, knitting what looked like a tiny red sweater. She was younger than Naruto – probably 18 – very pretty, with short dark brown hair and eyes. She smiled back.

"Thank you so much, Naruto!" Misato said with a grateful nod of her head. "I'm really sorry you have to go through the trouble, but I can barely stand as it is."

Naruto all but shrugged, his eyes travelling down to the obvious bulge that was the girl's belly and feeling strangely shy and giddy. There was something about seeing a pregnant woman that made his insides go fuzzy and warm. "It's okay, I like to help and I know your boyfriend is always busy hunting. I still have a few buckets to refill for the rest of the guys, but I can help you out if you need anything?"

"It's fine, my mother should be here soon," the girl said, shaking her head from side to side. "What do you think about this, though?" She lifted the small sweater she was knitting up so Naruto could see it and he felt himself blushing even more because the little unfinished garment was just the cutest thing ever.

"It's really adorable, Misato-chan, and it looks really fluffy," he said, grinning. "You think it'll be a boy?"

"I'm not sure," she said sweetly. "But I don't mind either way. I just want this baby to be healthy, that's all."

They made a bit of small talk for a few minutes before Naruto left to check out which houses needed water for the day. Most of the youngsters got water for themselves since the river was close by, and while he gave priority to sick, pregnant or elderly people, Naruto liked to visit everybody and offer his help to anyone who would need or accept it because it made him feel useful and occupied his time. Sasuke liked to work in the farm with the animals, but sometimes he enjoyed getting involved in construction work with the other men, and he was pretty good at it, too. He didn't socialize much, unlike Naruto himself, but people seemed to not mind his quiet nature since he was hard working and surprisingly polite in spite of his stoic demeanor.

They had been there for two weeks now, and Naruto had to admit that he was loving it. Yes, he slept in a barn with dozens of smelly animals, and yes, his clothes were simple and the food was scarce. Hot baths were a luxury that was far too complicated to pull off, so they usually bathed in the river. Compared to Konoha, it was a hard life, but the people were amazing and simple, and Naruto felt like he belonged. He wasn't being a Shinobi, but he was contributing to someone's well-being, and that made him feel amazing. Being away from fights, weapons and blood was different, but a welcomed novelty. It made him feel calm.

Also, he was experiencing all these things with his best friend, and while he often thought of Konoha, he couldn't say that he was missing it all that much, for now. He also thought of Hinata and wondered if she was alright, but this always made him feel terribly troubled for some reason, so he avoided it as much as he could.

At the end of the day, he ended up finding Sasuke sitting on the ground at the back of a house, a scroll spread out in front of him and a group of children surrounding him. He seemed to be teaching them the Hiragana, allowing the excited group to take turns in writing the characters. No-one in that village knew how to write or read, so it was a huge deal.

Naruto watched him from afar in amusement and pride, leaning against a tree with his arms crossed over his chest. He could tell Sasuke had noticed his watchful presence from the way his shoulders had tensed, but not once did he look at him, which made Naruto smirk internally.

He had to give it to his friend, that he was taking this redemption thing rather seriously. While Sasuke still kept mostly to himself and still had that proud and imposing look about him, he had certainly changed his demeanor to become more approachable and was definitely trying hard to relate to people. It was a shame he wasn't like this when in Konoha.

But this Sasuke was… just like the Sasuke he had grown up with, yet better. He was even more damaged, even more broken, but at the same time, he was stronger in so many ways and was working hard to heal and become the person he should've been all along.

This Sasuke was very… _alluring_. Looking at him made those familiar feelings of yearning and affection bubble inside Naruto. He found that he had them far too many times during the day to be remotely normal, but experiencing them was something precious to him, and something he was quickly getting used to.

After a while, Sasuke put the scroll away inside his bag and shooed the kids away. They seemed disappointed that he had to leave, but Sasuke promised to teach them more the next day and they all released loud exclamations of joy.

Only after getting to his feet did Sasuke make eye contact with him. The kids spotted him as well and waved at him, who waved back just as energetically. With calm steps, Sasuke went to him, frowning slightly.

"You didn't have to stand there and stare," he said, causing Naruto's smile to grow.

"I didn't have anything better to do," the blond said, with a relaxed shrug. "Got a problem with it?"

Sasuke raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Should I?"

Naruto merely chuckled as they made their way towards the barn to grab for clean clothes and head to the river to clean up. It had become some sort of a daily habit for them to do this before heading back to the 'main square', as Naruto liked to call it, for dinner. It was the only time of the day where everybody got together to eat outside and share the food among each other, and it was always nice because of all that family-like environment that surrounded him. And, okay, having the traditional cup of liquor to accompany his meal was also something he looked forward to because it warmed him up and helped him sleep like a rock. It also improved Sasuke's mood flawlessly.

The sun was setting, the last rays kissing the running water and making it glow in all its crystalline glory. There was no wind so it wasn't particularly cold. As they stripped by the riverbank at their usual spot considerably hidden by bushes, Naruto found himself only on his boxers, staring at his friend's elegant figure. He had long since dismissed Sasuke as being shy towards his appearance, and even without an arm he couldn't care less about how he looked in other people's eyes. Still, Sasuke had to know that, even without his arm, he was still devastatingly handsome, and the female population there clearly didn't care about his 'disability' if the way they eyed him as he passed was any indication.

Naruto couldn't help but notice how worn out and dirty Sasuke's bandage looked, even if he bathed with it every day. Sasuke was very thorough with his hygiene, something Naruto remembered from their days back in team 7, but, just like him, he never took the bandage off. Funny how they were so similar in the weirdest things.

"You shouldn't bandage that for a while," Naruto pointed out casually, just as his friend was bringing a hand to his boxers to push them down, his interference stopping the action. "It looks disgusting."

Sasuke glanced at him, looking down at Naruto's own bandage that wrapped his arm all the way up to his elbow. "So does yours."

"Yeah, that's why I'm going to take it off and wash it properly," Naruto said, with shrug, sitting down on a large rock and letting his feet sink into the ice cold water, shuddering a bit. He began undoing the knot that kept his bandage in place and started untangling it from his arm carefully. Beside him, Sasuke moved to sit on his left, their sides almost touching, and started to do the same. Naruto tried not to stare, but he always had a morbid curiosity about seeing how what was left of Sasuke's arm now looked like, so as soon as his bandage was off, he stared at Sasuke until it was revealed to him.

He had no idea what he was expecting since his own arm had been replaced rather quickly, but he was surprised, to say the least.

"It really has healed, hasn't it?" he said gloomily, clutching his dirty bandage over his lap with both hands. The fact that the skin looked almost flawlessly merged together as if there hadn't even been an arm there to begin with made him feel like he had missed something huge because that was proof that a lot of time had gone by and he hadn't even noticed it.

"I guess," Sasuke muttered, watching his reaction contemplatively for some reason. "Give me your hand," he then said, holding out his own. Naruto cautiously turned a bit and placed his right hand over it, the intimate, yet simple contact causing his heart to constrict.

There they were, those weird feelings he had sometimes, whenever Sasuke was too close, doing unexpected things – feelings that made him think about the past, about that emptiness that he had felt without Sasuke there and about… how different things were between them nowadays.

There was no reasonable explanation for it inside his head, but he liked it – every single bit of it. And it terrified him that it could ever be over – that he might lose it.

"It _is_ darker than the rest of your body," Sasuke observed, thumb rubbing over the back of his hand as if trying to figure out if the skin texture was right.

"Sasuke..." Naruto said, voice cracking unintentionally. The other looked up at him, and when their eyes met, Naruto had to swallow hard because his throat became dry for some reason. "When you left that first time... I was always thinking about you. Even back then, I knew our bond was strong, so I hoped that you thought of me, too." He didn't really know what he wanted to say, or even _how_ to say it, but he hoped Sasuke got it. "I hoped... that thinking of me made you stronger, just like it happened to me."

His friend's expression didn't change but his eyes became softer.

"How did you think that I was able to become who I am?" Sasuke said quietly, not letting go of his hand. "I wanted to drown in darkness but you were always there, in the back of my mind..." He licked at his lips, the action drawing Naruto's attention to the flicker of that pink tongue. "You should understand by now exactly why I was so desperate to kill you. Your existence pained me. It still does. Every single day."

"Why?" Naruto whispered, closing his fingers around Sasuke's hand. "Aren't you happy that you're not alone? That you got rid of all that hatred and pain? That I didn't let you kill me?"

Sasuke didn't blink, gaze becoming serious and intense, but he didn't seem to have an answer for him, or maybe he realized that Naruto had more to say.

"I'm so... glad you're alive," Naruto admitted, his own words causing his very soul to ache; but these were things he had been wanting to tell that man for a long, long time, and he needed to get it off his chest now that Sasuke was there, beside him, _listening_. "If you died, Sasuke... nothing would be able to fix that. I just... this world wouldn't... _I_ wouldn't..."

"You have other friends now," Sasuke interrupted, but not aggressively so. "You have Hinata, too."

Naruto couldn't help but huff.

"Why would you bring her into this?" he asked, frowning. "She has nothing to do with you, with us. It's different. You are you. Nothing will ever be able to replace you."

This made Sasuke's features finally scrunch up with displeasure and he tried to pry his hand away, but Naruto held on to it tighter.

"Don't say meaningless things, Naruto," Sasuke hissed. "Let go."

"They're not meaningless!" Naruto defended stubbornly.

"They are," Sasuke retorted back, firmly. "Your relationship with Hinata has nothing to do with me, and in your world with her there is no place for me. Therefore, I am replaceable as far as that's concerned. Just as she is when you're with me, apparently."

Naruto's shock at the statement was enough to make his fingers loosen around Sasuke's hand, who took the chance to finally break the contact.

"It's not like that!" the blond said, not really understanding why Sasuke would even say something like that when he _had_ to know that Hinata and him were two, very distinctive people and that he cared deeply about both but that neither were being used as replacements. "Sasuke..."

"We should leave soon," Sasuke cut, with a sigh, grabbing for both his and Naruto's bandage and throwing them to the side, to the pile of their sweaty clothes nearby. "I was thinking we could go to Suna."

"Hey, we're not done talking y…" Naruto was going to press the subject, but at hearing about Suna his attention was efficiently thrown off balance and focused solely on that topic. "We're going to visit Gaara?"

"If you want." Standing up, Sasuke turned his back to him and finally started removing his boxers, and for a few seconds, Naruto's eyes couldn't help but be attracted to the pale, very naked figure of his friend and his very firm, very round ass. Not that he hadn't seen enough of _that_ since they had started travelling together, but it still had an impact on him, maybe because Sasuke was comfortable enough around him to actually get fully naked. "I should send word to him that we're coming. The people there tend to be a bit hostile when I drop by."

This made Naruto jump in his seat. "You... you've been to Suna alone before? After the war?" he inquired, astonished.

"There are many things about me you have yet to know, Naruto," the Uchiha said with an empty smirk, looking at him over his shoulder.

Naruto merely crossed his arms over his chest. "Apparently, since I didn't have a clue that you and Gaara even got along, let alone that you have kept in touch."

Sasuke sighed again and threw his boxers away towards the pile. "The Kazekage and I have things in common," he chose to explain. "Also, we owed each other apologies."

"That's so surreal."

"Things change."

"Well, whatever..." Naruto waved a dismissive hand towards Sasuke, who was slowly walking a bit further away, deeper into the river where he knew the water would at least reach his thighs. "I'm glad we're going to see him, though. I miss that weirdo a lot."

"As he misses you, I'm sure," the other said plainly, crouching down so his body was immersed in the flowing water up to his chest. If the cold temperature bothered him, he didn't show it.

"Can we just wait until Misato-chan gives birth?" Naruto asked hopefully. "I really want to meet her kid."

"Sure."

Because Sasuke kept his back to him, Naruto knew he wanted to give a definite ending to their conversation.

Chewing on his lower lip, Naruto watched him slowly wash himself with steady but elegant gestures of his single hand that, to his appreciative eyes, was a mirror image of the level of skill and precision he was capable of in a fight. Sasuke had a grace to him that was fascinating to watch, and yet, the imposing aura he emanated was a clear warning that he was a force to be reckoned with.

Even after all this time, even after becoming a recognized hero in the Shinobi world, Naruto still envied him. It was a healthy kind of envy now, because while Sasuke was as skilled and as strong as he was, he also had the looks and the behavior to match with it. Sasuke was, in every sense of the word, the perfect character for a book of adventures – some sort of handsome heroic prince with a tragic background.

It was kind of funny and endearing to think about.

"You're very intent on being a voyeur today," Sasuke noted dryly, sensing Naruto's gaze on him, without stopping what he was doing or looking back at him..

"I'm just… really happy," Naruto said, cautiously. "I'm happy to be with you right now. Why can't you see that?"

Sasuke's hand stilled on rubbing his chest.

"I _can_ see it," he said, voice low and devoid of emotion – something Naruto already knew he used as a shield to conceal his real emotions sometimes. "But it's only worth of value _right now_. I know that this is not a long termed situation, so I'm not exactly willing to be blinded by these fleeting moments of hope."

"What do you mean?" Naruto mumbled, able to feel the all too familiar bitterness behind that forced impassiveness but not really understanding where Sasuke was coming from. "I'm your friend. I'm here right now. I'll always be there for you, no matter what. Don't doubt that, Sasuke."

Sasuke's short laugh sounded aggravated. "You're just as oblivious as ever," he replied, shaking his head from side to side. "Just hurry up and get washed up. Usuratonkachi."

Hesitantly, and wondering what the hell he had done wrong this time, Naruto nodded (even if Sasuke couldn't see it) and obeyed.

000

A few days later, early in the morning, Naruto was working the fields when he heard someone shouting that Misato was going to have the baby.

The commotion was huge amongst the people. Sasuke was supposed to be shearing the sheep, so Naruto ran over there in excitement to tell him but he was nowhere to be found. He then ran over to Misato's to see if there was anything at all he could do to help her, but there was a lot of people surrounding the house already; some, like him, wanting to help, others praying, and others simply wanting to witness the miracle of birth. Naruto found this a little peculiar because he thought giving birth was supposed to be something private, and yet, to these simple people who had no electricity or means entertainment, witnessing something like this was perfectly normal.

Lost in the crowd, Naruto felt anxious every time he heard Misato's screams of agony. Where the fuck was Sasuke at a time like this?

Figuring that asking around was the best option, he found out that Sasuke was _in there_. With Misato, her mother, and her boyfriend.

He was there to help Misato give birth. Naruto thought he might throw up his own heart.

Why was Sasuke even there in the first place? Naruto had to be there, too. He wanted to be next to his friend, to be useful, to just… _do something_.

So he acted without really thinking, pushing himself through the crowd of people and muttering apologies until he managed to get inside the small house, already packed with people who were peaking inside the room where the delivery was happening. He made his way through them, ignoring their questions and their warnings, and into the room, and upon entering, he was in no way ready for the scenario in front of him, of the young Misato semi-lying on her back over a mat on the floor, her upper body resting on her boyfriend's (Tori's) lap, her sweaty features scrunched up in pain. Her mother was kneeling between her spread thighs – the girl's dress tunic had been pulled up all the way up her chest, revealing most of her lower body – looking anxious but concentrated as she wiped at the residues there.

Sasuke was kneeling beside the girl's body, facing the entrance. Everybody was talking at the same time while Misato grunted in torment and Tori seemed to look both worried and thoroughly sick as he wiped at the girl's forehead with a wet cloth. All over the place, towels stained with blood and the gods knew what else could be seen, and close to Misato's mother, many weird instruments were scattered about. There was a pungent smell in the air that he couldn't – and didn't want to – identify.

Naruto had to swallow the bile that rose to his throat.

"Naruto!" Sasuke yelled, startling him out of his initial shock. He looked exhausted and relieved to see him there, hair sticking out in every direction. Only then did Naruto notice that he had his hand over Misato's protuberant belly and that it was glowing with baby blue chakra. "I need your help! The baby's wrapped in up the umbilical cord and I can't untangle her single handedly! You need to use your chakra!"

Naruto had no idea what Sasuke was talking about, how he knew it was a girl or that she was even in such a situation – it was far too much information for him at the moment – but he knew Sasuke needed his help, and he'd do whatever it took to be of use.

He quickly moved to the small group and slumped down on the floor on the other side of Misato, in front of Sasuke.

"Put your hand over mine," Sasuke instructed urgently, and Naruto did as told, even if he felt himself shake. "You feel my energy? You feel where my chakra's touching?"

"Yeah," Naruto confirmed, with an exuberant nod, because he could also feel the thumping of the feeble life there.

"I need you to apply pressure there with your own chakra," Sasuke said. "That's where the cord is inflicting the most damage, but it should be okay if we keep it still. The cord is far too tangled up in the baby and if we loosen the pressure in that point it might squeeze her to death. It's also preventing her from coming out." He took a deep, shaky breath. "While you apply pressure to that point, I'm going to use my chakra to try and untangle as much as I can of the cord. If we're successful, she'll be out fast, or so I hope."

"You should've called me!" Naruto said, panic filling him at all the words Sasuke had said that he had barely registered. "What if I hadn't showed up?!"

"I was going to!" Sasuke protested. "I was trying to do as much as I could!"

"How do you even _know_ about this kind of stuff?!"

"I told you I've been studying!" Sasuke yelled, in exasperation. "I know a bit of medical stuff, but it's the first time I'm actually using the knowledge."

Another pained yell from Misato and a curse from her mother made Sasuke eye Naruto meaningfully. They nodded to each other at the same time, and in silence, they got to work. Naruto concentrated the same amount of energy in his hand that he had felt from Sasuke, and as soon as his friend removed his hand, he was ready to apply pressure on that same point.

"P-please save my… baby…" Misato pleaded, looking at Sasuke with a heartbreaking expression of distress.

"I will," Sasuke promised, forcing a smile. "Just keep your breathing even and refrain from pushing for a while, okay?"

She nodded, taking in a sharp breath as another violent contraction assaulted her. Naruto watched Sasuke, torn between fascination and fear at the certainty in his voice. What if he _couldn't_ do it?

Misato's mother was quiet, but tears were streaming down her face, probably thinking the same thing.

Naruto wondered what those poor people would do if Sasuke hadn't been there. They would never be able to tell the baby's condition and the gods knew what would've happened to her and Misato then…

"Focus, Dobe!" Sasuke snapped, just as warm tears made Naruto's eyes sting. He blinked, a single drop falling from his eyes and down his cheek, but the determined look on Sasuke's face was enough to help him get his shit together.

Sasuke had this. Someone as focused, diligent, skilled and talented as he was had no room for failure in his own mind, so he'd definitely pull this off no matter what.

"Tell me if there's anything else I can do," Naruto said.

"I'll tell you if I need more pressure, or pressure on another point," Sasuke said, taking a deep breath. He concentrated chakra on his hand again and placed his hand over Misato's belly. "I'm going to start moving the cord now. Try to stop her from moving too much, Tori."

It felt like hours passed during which Naruto kept his hand immobile, making sure he didn't fuck up and didn't disturb Sasuke's methodical job. Misato's screams upset him, but he did his best to remain as calm as he could, joining Tori in muttering soothing words to the soon-to-be mother, listening carefully every time Sasuke reported on how he had managed to loosen the cord here and there.

By the time he was done, Sasuke was literally dripping with sweat and his whole body was trembling from the physical exertion that the task had forced out of him, and yet, in spite of his obvious shaken state, he still moved quickly to Misato's mother's side and used more of his chakra to help ease the passage so the baby could come out faster, and thankfully, a few minutes later and after a lot of pain from Misato, the baby was out.

Misato's mother caught the tiny body in her eager hands, and Sasuke was quick to instruct Naruto to fetch more towels and more water from the corner of the room, which he did, feeling almost as if he were in a dream, watching everything from outside of his own body.

When he got to Sasuke's side, his best friend was cutting the umbilical cord with a rudimental knife. The eldest woman did a few procedures to clear the baby's airways that got Naruto's stomach in a twist but immediately made him feel relieved as the tiny individual started to cry weakly. After that, Naruto passed Sasuke the towels and, filled with joy and gratefulness, Misato's mother passed him the baby, even though he only had one arm to hold her.

Sasuke seemed a bit surprised by this, but the woman was ecstatic. "It is a girl," she said, before looking up at her daughter's relieved face. "You hear that, Misato? It's a beautiful girl, just like you wanted!"

Misato was even able to release a small, exhausted laugh and Tori could no longer hold back his emotions as silent tears ran down his strong features.

"Help me clean her up," Sasuke said to Naruto in a whisper. His voice shook, and consequentially shook Naruto's very soul as well, who could barely keep his hands steady as he dipped a few cloths in the water and twisted them, with which he carefully wiped the bloodied baby clean as much as possible.

They had helped bring a baby into this world. The little girl was alive and kicking and Sasuke had been responsible for that miracle. If it hadn't been for him…

Naruto could barely breathe as he looked at Sasuke's drained, yet soft features while he looked at the tiny creature he was holding. He looked ridiculously heroic and just _ethereal_, like a beautiful, out of this world entity. Despite his best efforts, Naruto couldn't help the sob that escaped his chest as well as the flood of tears that had been threatening to escape his eyes for quite a while now.

He felt so happy and grateful, too. He felt so many things at the same time, for Misato, for that baby, for those people, for Sasuke… the things he felt _for Sasuke_ almost choked him. Yet, he laughed because everything was just so beautiful it amazed him.

He was only able to calm down when Sasuke passed the baby to Misato, who, along with Tori, both smiled widely at them, both too emotional to properly voice their gratitude.

000

They were a bit drunk, Sasuke was aware of this. Everybody had been indulging in celebration of Misato's baby and Sasuke and Naruto had been no exception.

So, yes, it had been a wild night, filled with laughter, booze, tears and dancing and it had been beautiful in ways Sasuke had never seen or experienced before. The fatigue of the delivery had left him to be replaced by pure exhilaration and need to be free.

Still, if Naruto, ever the bright individual hadn't been there, Sasuke was sure he wouldn't have taken part in any of it, but his friend's energy was far too strong and captivating, and it drew people in like a brutal force.

Naruto was out of himself after the delivery. So, Sasuke drank, laughed, and even danced around the fire with a few of the youngest girls as well as a few women – well, it wasn't exactly 'dancing' as much as it was just jumping around in a rather ritualistic way to the sound of rustic drums – and if the suggestive looks he received were any indication, those females were looking out for some fun. Too bad for them that he had no interest in them.

Naruto seemed to be enjoying himself as well, but more often than not Sasuke would find those strong, vivid blue eyes trained on him in both joy and fascination. Sometimes, those eyes darkened and became oddly intense, following his every move from the other side of the huge bonfire and Sasuke would relish in all those raw emotions he saw there. Those eyes ravaged him, caressing him all over and he could all but let it consume him as the pull he and Naruto had on each other made him feel powerful and simply _wanted_ like never before.

So, he smirked nastily at Naruto, and whenever they happened to walk by each other in that sea of happy dancing bodies, he would make sure to touch Naruto's arm, hand or the back of his neck, teasingly, playfully, and would drink in the way his friend shivered every single time and would always reach out to touch him back. The mutual contact felt like electricity on his body and he'd feel himself burn with an uncontrolled longing that he noticed to have an erotic feel to it as well.

While Sasuke was no stranger to feeling aroused from kissing, this kind of feeling, he knew, was new to them and caused by new, deeper things that had blossomed between them. Naruto felt it, too, if the hungry glint in his helpless sapphire eyes was any indication.

This to say that Sasuke wasn't surprised when Naruto suddenly appeared in front of him and grabbed for his wrist before dragging him away from the loud celebration. They found themselves near the barn, closer to the woods and away from the party they had been immersed in. The night was a bit chilly, but thanks to their woolen sweaters and all the dancing, neither was feeling particularly cold. In fact, when they reached a rather secluded area and Naruto leaned his back against a tree trunk, pulling Sasuke to him, the Uchiha had to admit that he was feeling more than a little hot, heart beating painfully inside his chest because of the euphoria he was feeling.

His head was spinning, and when strong arms surrounded his neck in a loose, but meaningful hug, he could only lean in to capture the lips that met his halfway through. By now, he and Naruto had kissed enough times for them to identify each other's moods, and Sasuke quickly understood that his friend was in a rather lightheaded and playful mood. This however, only made him more carefree, thus more intense.

The kiss was eager from the very start, Naruto releasing a pleased moan as their tongues slid over each other with uncoordinated ease. Sasuke enjoyed those small sounds they made and the way Naruto's body seemed to twitch from raw need. His hands moved so his fingers could close tightly around the dark hair in the back of his head, making sure Sasuke didn't break the kiss, and Sasuke allowed it, pressing himself closer and winding his arm underneath Naruto's armpit to grab his shoulder.

If there were times when Sasuke regretted not having his arm, these were it. When he and Naruto were being like this, he often wished he could hold him properly and make sure his intents, his desires were well comprehended. As it was, there was only so much strength he could display, and only so much affection he could bestow upon the other. They were both male, and just like Naruto himself seemed to understand that in order for the mutual respect to be achieved they would both have to keep their male pride intact, so did Sasuke, and while the balance was still overwhelmingly delicate due to the early stages of their intimacy, it was also surprisingly steady.

Sasuke had expected Naruto to try and subjugate him at some point, considering how he had already been with a female, and yet, his friend didn't, not even once. If it was natural or just him being considerate, Sasuke didn't know, but he knew that he was ready to counter it with everything he had.

Still, there seemed to be no need for them to fight for dominance so far, and the way Naruto's leg had wound around his waist was proof enough of it. Sasuke allowed a small noise to escape his throat as he broke to kiss to latch his mouth over the curve of the other's neck and sucking on it wetly, the alcohol in his veins making it all too easy for him to instinctively venture a few tentative thrusts of his hips against his friend's. Both of them shivered slightly as their obvious arousals came into contact, Naruto's fists tightening more on Sasuke's hair, who couldn't help but smirk against the other's skin at the way his name was uttered in a sinful release of breath in his ear.

Sasuke couldn't possibly claim to know what he was doing. He wasn't naïve, or ignorant about sex – he had read about it – and while he was in no way experienced, it wasn't something that he considered to be that much of a big deal. The notion of sex, or any kind of sexual interaction, was something he perceived with the same rational mind that he perceived everything else. Whatever had to happen would happen, and he, being a fast learner, would be able to deal with it, no doubt about it. Call it arrogance, but at this point of his life, he was far too confident in himself to be intimidated by something as banal and mindless as sex. Like fighting an unknown opponent, it was all about instinct and body language.

Right now, as they panted and trembled against each other, Sasuke wasn't sure what it was that he wanted to do or what Naruto himself wanted.

However, he couldn't say that he felt completely prepared for the intensity that emanated from his best friend, so when the blond searched for his mouth again, kissing him desperately and alluringly rocking his own hips against Sasuke's in search for more friction, Sasuke felt powerless to the sheer pleasurable heat that seemed to set his body on fire.

His painfully hard cock throbbed with unchained lust as he found himself automatically responding to Naruto, who seemed to be in a rather horny mood for some reason Sasuke couldn't quite understand. Sure, he had seen those eyes almost devouring him just a few minutes ago, but where had that come from?

Sasuke grunted, letting his hand travel down the side of Naruto's body in a possessive caress before cupping an ass cheek and pressing himself harder, enjoying the uncoordinated way Naruto pressed back, their lengths rubbing deliciously against each other through their linen pants.

The Kami help him, but that felt better than anything else in the world.

"Fuck," Naruto grunted against his mouth. "Sasuke… faster…"

Naruto's speech was a bit slurred, but not enough to deter Sasuke from moving faster, teeth biting roughly on Naruto's lower lip, who let out a mumbled complaint that sounded both eager and pained.

Sasuke had no consciousness of Naruto releasing his hair, but he felt Naruto's cold hands sliding down his back in one quick, swift motion before pulling the hem of his sweater up so they could touch skin, blunt nails scratching viciously and making Sasuke hiss.

Their mouths parted again with a wet popping noise and Naruto attacked his ear lobe, nibbling and licking at it with a lewdness Sasuke had never imagined he was even able to possess, the noises his tongue made causing his head to spin. Then, those hands became even more daring as they shamelessly slid down again to invade Sasuke's pants and underwear and cupping both his ass cheeks.

Sasuke almost cursed himself for not being able to touch Naruto more. If only he had two hands he could just…

He wondered if, even like this, Naruto found him attractive, somehow – if this outcome had been triggered by their emotional bond or if something about him turned Naruto on.

Naruto did turn him on, and while this hadn't been exactly something that was important before they had started kissing, being intimate definitely had an impact in how differently Sasuke looked at him now.

"Sasuke…" Naruto gasped in his ear, rolling his hips even more desperately against his, heart beating wildly against Sasuke's erratic one. "Oh, shit… so good… I'm so close…"

Sasuke bit his lip and closed his eyes tightly, feeling his cock leaking even more inside his underwear.

They had never gotten this far during a make out session, but Sasuke knew by now how this was going to end. There was still time to stop, or at least time to ask Naruto if he was sure about it, if this was the right thing to do and if it was better to not go through with it after all. Because, once they did, those last few doors that separated them would finally be unlocked and it was only a matter of time before Naruto opened them. And Sasuke was more than ready for it – had always been, he knew that now – but Naruto had other people, other thoughts, other aspirations, and this would have a strong repercussion in their lives from here on.

Stopping now would be hard (he was so devastatingly close to that blissful completion, too) but for Naruto's sake – for both their sakes – Sasuke was willing to do it.

However, as soon as he opened his mouth, Naruto's fingers squeezed his ass and pulled him more to him, hands urging him to move faster as his leg flexed around Sasuke's waist. "I'm gonna cum… fuckfuckfuck…" he chanted, his face buried in the curve of Sasuke's neck, who could all but indulge him and be guided by his precious person's whims as he helped Naruto ride his orgasm for all it was worth.

Naruto came with a long, strangled moan of Sasuke's name, hands twitching on Sasuke's bottom and body trembling with powerful spasms. Sasuke's lust was both fueled and pacified by those amazing sounds he attentively listened to, his brain registering every breath, every shiver and every senseless word the other uttered. He deeply regretted not being able to see Naruto's face, but in the dark forest, the chance was slim anyway.

Still, he was too aroused and absorbed, even if everything had been so sudden and fast. It was remarkable that it didn't feel awkward, and even more so that Naruto had let himself go so easily, and the thought itself was nothing short of amazing.

Sasuke didn't really have much time to delve into things though. He barely registered the moment Naruto came down from his high because the blond was lifting his head and smashing his mouth against his in another fervent kiss. If Sasuke hadn't been so fucking horny to begin with, he would've gasped at the nerve of Naruto as he blindly (somehow) managed to untie the strings in his pants and pulled them and his underwear slightly down. Sasuke's already moistened cock was exposed to the cold environment, but Naruto's hand was quick to reach for it and pump it. The movements of his fist were a bit awkward but energetic and obviously into it, and Sasuke almost lost the ability to stand. He had never been touched like that by another person before – and it wasn't like he felt the need to masturbate all that often – and, clumsy as it may be, it felt too good.

Naruto was still breathing hard against his mouth, trying to kiss him at the same time but it ended up being nothing more than a mess of tongues and lips that Sasuke enjoyed far too much to care about how uncoordinated it was.

He held Naruto close by the waist, his wrist scrapping a bit against the roughness of the tree trunk and probably scratching skin, but he barely felt it. He just wanted Naruto close – that flawed perfection that was theirs – and nothing else. He had never needed something as bad in his life like he needed release in the arms of that particular person.

He grunted, unable to stop himself from fucking Naruto's hand while being thoroughly jerked off.

He quivered at the impending ecstasy coiling in the pit of his stomach, his cock convulsing with the upcoming orgasm.

"That's it…" Naruto murmured lovingly against his mouth, his words sounding almost like a prayer. "Cum for me… Sasuke…"

And Sasuke did, trying to swallow his voice down but not being able to because a long grunt escaped him while pleasure washed over him and he kept thrusting his hips against Naruto's hand, his seed leaving him and coating it.

As his orgasm subsided, Naruto's hand slowed down considerably as well, but its movements didn't cease, still pumping carefully, almost as if enjoying the new slickness that aided it, which made it difficult for Sasuke to clear his mind and stop shivering from the small pleasure.

He remained very still, breathing hard while Naruto took the chance to mouth at his parted lips, the upper one first, and the lower one after it. Sasuke allowed it for a few submissive seconds, only because he was far too lost in the blissful haziness of his pleasure, before lazily pressing his lips to Naruto's responsively.

They kissed for a while, Naruto's hand eventually stopping its ministrations to close around Sasuke's sweater, dirtying it. Sasuke couldn't care if he tried.

When they parted, Naruto looked at him, and when their eyes met, the blond sucked in a breath, seemingly about to say something.

"Don't talk," Sasuke interrupted, voice coming out a bit rough since he was still feeling drowsy. "You'll say something to piss me off, for sure."

Naruto frowned at him, looking offended.

Truth was, Sasuke he felt… _good_ – ecstatic that yet another wall had been torn down. But also queasy and somewhat angry. Naruto had initiated it for some reason, and Sasuke had accepted it because he had wanted to. But again, this was something rather huge for them. Or maybe, it was what he wanted to believe, but Naruto was different, and sometimes, he looked at things from a light-hearted perspective, and _sometimes_, Sasuke just didn't want to know his thoughts. In fact… just thinking about how this could have less meaning to Naruto than it did to him made him feel furious. Because, unfortunately for him, his friend was _dumb_.

"I was just going to say that this was really good," Naruto said quietly, blue eyes seeming to glow a little resentfully in the dark. "It felt really good, doing this with you, Sasuke." In spite of himself, Sasuke turned his face away, but the blond proceeded. "If you were thinking that I did it because you think I'm drunk and am I going to regret it, then you're wrong."

"Then why _did_ you do it?" Sasuke asked, noticing his voice sounded colder than necessary, but uncertainty not allowing him to take anything for granted.

Naruto blinked, as if the question didn't even make sense to him. "Because it felt _righ_t," he said, sincerely. "After this morning I just… and just a while ago you looked… really cool out there, laughing and dancing, and I just… felt drawn to you and really wanted it. And you did, too, so it felt perfect. Don't be upset about something that felt amazing like that."

It was Sasuke's turn to blink stupidly, his anger draining away. It wasn't exactly the kind of answer he was looking for – then again, when did Naruto ever say what he wanted to hear? – and yet, the simple, pure way he had spoken made him realize that it was when Naruto was the most oblivious that he acted more on impulse and heart alone. This was when he became more honest.

And for some reason, while it frustrated Sasuke to no end, he couldn't really stay angry at him.

But… it was upsetting, he thought. Looking into Naruto's eyes and seeing the longing, the hope and _that_… he hated seeing it but knowing his friend couldn't grasp it, even if, little by little and with each passing day, he seemed to give in more to their bond.

"Damn it," Sasuke hissed, letting his forehead fall to Naruto's shoulder. "You're always saying stupid shit, Usuratonkachi."

Naruto chuckled. "I know you like it when I go all mushy on you, even though you always act tough like you don't give a shit," he teased, using his clean hand to caress the back of Sasuke's neck, cheek coming in contact with his temple. "But I meant what I said. I feel like, no matter what happens between us, it's fine because it's _you_. If it makes sense, then that's all I will focus on."

"I know," Sasuke mumbled, toying with the fabric of Naruto's sweater with his fingers. "But you have to admit: you were also pretty horny, weren't you?"

Naruto made a thoughtful noise with the back of his throat. "Well… yeah, I guess. A guy has needs. Didn't you feel terribly horny and frustrated that we've done all that making out without some sex involved? I was almost ready to jump out of my skin a few times, to be honest. And who wouldn't want some sex after that delivery? That was sick, man."

Sasuke could only release a bitter, amused laugh.

000

The weather seemed to be against them hitting the road again on that grey morning, dark clouds having covered the sun as thin raindrops fell over their heads. Naruto had to admit that he felt sad that, after four weeks, they had to go. He had grown attached to the people and to the quiet, yet hardworking lifestyle.

They were given their weapons back and enough food to last for a week, as well as more of the typical linen and wool clothes they were already used to wearing, even though he was sure that the weather would be very hot once they entered Wind Country. Everybody was feeling rather emotional, but Naruto couldn't help the tears from falling at the sight of the kids that usually followed Sasuke around crying all around him and telling him not to go. Sasuke merely smiled gently at them and ruffled the top of their heads, promising that he'd be back to visit sometime.

Amongst the strong hugs, forehead kisses and words of farewell, Naruto thanked everyone for the way they had been received and for the things he had learned. If by the time he took a glimpse of Sasuke leaning down to press a small kiss to the forehead of the baby in Misato's arms (Mika was her name), Naruto was already a sobbing mess, seeing his friend like that made him start hiccupping uncontrollably. Thankfully, Sasuke realized that there were only so many goodbyes the both of them could handle and decided that it was time to go.

Their bags considerably heavier than they had been before meeting civilization, the two headed towards Wind Country, and Suna.

After they left, Naruto kept on crying for about an hour, and while Sasuke sighed his annoyance beside him and just threw him frowning glances, he didn't really say anything to give him comfort either. _Bastard_, Naruto thought bitterly, wiping at his snotty nose with the sleeve of his sweater and ignoring Sasuke's disgusted shudder.

He had met many people in his life, gone on many missions, seen many things… but actually spending so much time with other types of people, actually knowing what it meant to live as someone poor who actually had to survive by their own means, was a completely new thing to him. Maybe this was what Sasuke's process of self-forgiveness meant, he considered. Feeling empathy for different kinds of lives and people, learning how to feel for them so strongly you just ached to do something to make sure their lives were a bit easier. And yet, there was no pity in him for them, because they were genuinely united and happy.

After a while, he managed to calm down enough to be able to stop seeing everything so blurry, but he was still hiccupping heavily. That's when a linen handkerchief made its appearance in front of him, to his surprise. He looked at Sasuke, who was extending it to him with his features scrunched up in aggravation and took it, gratefully. He wiped his face and blew his nose loudly.

"For fuck's sake, Naruto, do you have to be so damned disgusting?" Sasuke yelled, clearly irritated beyond himself. "I've never seen someone crying so much in my whole life; where the fuck do you store all that water?"

"Shut up, I have the right to cry for as long as I want!" Naruto protested, voice coming out hoarse. "Just let me be, bastard!"

Purposefully, he blew his nose again, causing Sasuke to make a sickened 'urgh'.

"Just… calm down," Sasuke said, between clenched teeth, while furiously rummaging inside his bag in search for something. He took out a canteen of water and extended it to Naruto. "Drink some water, you're upsetting me with all that crying, it's uncalled for and you look terrible."

In spite of having a nasty retort on the tip of his tongue, Naruto accepted the canteen and unscrewed the cap before taking a few healthy swigs, the liquid soothing his sore throat. Once he was done, he passed it back to Sasuke, who put it away inside his bag again.

Then, Naruto watched Sasuke for a while as they walked side by side, contemplating his friend, who chose to not look back at him.

He wondered if seeing him cry was really all that upsetting for Sasuke or if it just got on his nerves because he was noisy. Nevertheless, that small 'village' had had an impact on him for many reasons, and yet, what had really moved him the most was seeing Sasuke's strange display of humility there and his constant calm, helpful demeanor towards other people.

Naruto had always known that, deep down, Sasuke had always had a gentle heart that had, unfortunately, been tainted by hatred, pain and sadness, but seeing his friend working hard to heal himself and bring himself back from the chaos he had been in… it was almost like seeing someone looking for the child within them – that same purity, that same simple enjoyment over simple things, and that freedom to love and live.

This made Sasuke look, to him, more beautiful than ever.

Those who knew nothing about him had no idea – they couldn't understand what Naruto saw – what he had seen – the progression Sasuke was going through, thus, they could never really comprehend how it felt to see this Sasuke, who was completely himself, yet someone better.

It made his heart ache with something strong, yet not unpleasant. He wondered if Sakura was even aware of this, but by the way Sasuke closed in on himself, it wasn't very likely. Also, Sakura had never travelled with him before, like Naruto was doing.

Sniffing, and feeling a bit needy, he reached out to brush the back of his fingers over Sasuke's shoulder, running them down his arm slowly, a bit clumsily considering they were still in motion. Sasuke glanced at him sideways, one eyebrow quirking upwards. When Naruto was about to reach his hand, Sasuke spoke, voice smooth but cold as ice. "Do it and I'll break every single bone in your hand."

As if burnt, Naruto removed said hand with a pout. "You're so mean, Sasuke!" he retorted, sticking his lower lip out and making it tremble on purpose. "A guy needs a bit of comfort and you're just a cold bastard all the way!"

"Oh, yes, because out of all the comforting gestures, holding hands is by far the best of them," Sasuke said, sarcastically.

Naruto felt himself smile. "We could always have sex again," he said, grinning mischievously even if the memory alone of the event a few nights previously was enough to make heat flood him from head to toe. Just the previous morning things had gotten pretty nice when they had woken up, both apparently feeling rather horny and ready for some action, but had been interrupted by one of the kids who oh-so-conveniently decided to 'wake' Sasuke up himself. "I'm sure even you agree that _that's_ comforting enough."

He was ready for the swig Sasuke took at his head, so he was successful in ducking and avoiding it. With a satisfied grin, he stuck his tongue out at the other, effectively causing Sauske to roll his eyes.

In silence, both proceeded on their way, side by side. After a while, Sasuke seemed to have moved abnormally closer so that their arms touched when they walked. Naruto felt happy and victorious at the same time – it seemed as though they were becoming closer and closer the more time passed, both physically and emotionally and it felt liberating beyond anything he had ever experienced.

It also felt weird, all these sudden, very conflicting yet specific feelings he had whenever he so much looked at Sasuke, let alone touch him. It was the same as always, that strong pull, that easy, yet clashing dynamic between them, and yet, it was becoming increasingly different for some reason.

He didn't like to think about it. All he knew was that he was incredibly happy right now, and this kind of happiness wasn't something he was used to.

In fact… he wasn't sure he had ever felt quite like this in his entire life. He hoped Sasuke felt it, too, and all he wanted was to keep moving, alongside his best friend, and see how much happier they could both be, together.

TBC…

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><p><strong>Shane:<strong> I tend to think that Naruto tries to turn himself into the sterotypical hero, and your typical guy, even if he wants to stand out and make a difference. In the end, since he was never really normal to begin with, I feel like, after the war, he just strived to have a life as normal as possible – working hard, hanging out with friends, finding a girlfriend… that sort of stuff. But, while he can do this if Sasuke isn't around, I get the feeling that, if Sasuke was a constant in his daily life, he wouldn't be able to pursue that 'normalcy'. Which is something I think he fears, that knowledge that Sasuke is capable of throwing him off balance and making him want to forget what he's aiming for himself. Which is why he didn't immediately consider travelling with him. But I think that, deep down, Narut owanted to spend time with Sasuke really badly but wanted to give Sasuke some space while trying NOT to think about his own wants too much. Thank you for Reading!

**Guest:** Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far! I hope this chapter pelased you as well ;)

**Ttracee:** Hehe, Naruto doesn't like to think on things too much, right? I think it's best if he's this way because overthinking things would probably ruin everything and scare him in a way. It's best if he lets himself go and slowly let his feelings seep into him, you know? He gets used to them, so when he does think about it, it feels less of a weight. However, Sakura and Hinata's conversation wasn't to show that they were okay with Sasuke and Naruto having na affair. They are both hesitant in a way, but kind of confident that the boys will settle things between them, probably fool around for a bit and THEN go their separate ways, back to them. Because they needed to blow off some steam before focusing on what they really want to do (or what Sakura and Hinata think they want to do) with their lives. Thank you for Reading!

**Ash:** I do believe that strong bonds exist, but people are scared to feel them, so they often simplify them to not make it look too complicated. People think that, if you feel too strongly for a friend of the same genre, that will make you look weird as if you have other intentions. People don't let themselves go and just be however they want to be towards someone they care about, so most friendships have very steady lines drawn between two people. It's either the 'brother-like' friendship or the 'friends-with-benefits' friendship for most people, and sometimes, it's both. But I get how it's difficult for any human being to allow themselves to feel so strongly for someone who's supposed to be like your brother/sister. When you start to think of them as lovers, it's as if the whole universe is fucked up. Naruto's and Sasuke's bond really is extreme in many ways, and they have done for each other things people would only do for lovers or a beloved relative. Which is why I find it so funny that het pairings' fans tend to disregard this fact by claiming that they are 'just good friends'. But thank you so much, Im happy that you think I'm doing it right, even if I grab for their bond and make it even more complex and heartbreaking than it already is. I hope you liked this chapter as well!

**Long-assed chapter just for you! Don't ask where this came from, but there are scenes here that I definitely wanted to inclu**

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><p><strong>de, so… I'm glad I did? Anyway, I hope you liked it!<strong>

**Next part: Gaara, relationship talk, some fluff, some more arguing and… well, who the fuck knows? Look forward to it!**

**Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU AAAAALLLL!**

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><p><strong>REVIEW?<strong>


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